Staff Reports
Another day, another flip-flop from Kamala Harris, the Vice President-turned-Democrat presidential nominee who has officially thrown her previous commitments under the bus—or should it be an electric bus? Harris, who co-sponsored the ambitious Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019, has suddenly developed a case of selective amnesia regarding the electric vehicle mandates that she once championed. While her campaign attempts to erase history with some clever “fact-checking,” it conveniently glosses over her previous push for a future where gas-powered cars would be nothing but a memory.
In the 2019 proposal, which thankfully didn’t go anywhere, Harris wanted to make it illegal to manufacture anything other than zero-emission vehicles after 2040. The idea was to give the Environmental Protection Agency the power to decide who could sell what kind of car. It seemed that her grand plan towards a greener world was going smoothly – until reality slid in with a major wake-up call. This year, she and President Biden have already pushed for a new set of tailpipe emissions regulations that would force a staggering percentage of vehicles sold to be electric or hybrids. Fast forward to now, and Harris is backpedaling faster than a cyclist who just hit a patch of black ice.
Once again, we are seeing a flip-flop from Vice President Kamala Harris, who now wants us to believe she has had a change of heart regarding EV mandates. The American people shouldn’t fall for it. https://t.co/60zQ5HxdEB
— Power The Future (@powerthefuture) August 28, 2024
Unsurprisingly, the public reaction to forced electric vehicle mandates hasn’t been cheering crowds and confetti. A recent poll revealed that a whopping 59% or more of voters in critical swing states like Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania disagree with the idea of banning gas-powered cars. This resistance certainly seems to be setting off alarm bells over at Harris’s campaign headquarters. It appears that the progressive fantasy of turning every car into an eco-friendly chariot is hitting a brick wall. Who would’ve thought that voters enjoy the reliability of their gas-guzzlers over the sometimes temperamental nature of electric vehicles?
Electric vehicles might be all the rage in liberal echo chambers, but the everyday American is left shaking their head—especially when faced with common issues like an overtaxed power grid or sub-zero temperatures that leave EVs less functional than a flip phone at a tech convention. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where voters will surrender their gas tanks when faced with the menacing prospect of their car not working when they need it most.
The pressure on Harris to appease the voters who are not onboard with her eco-evangelism is palpable. Her previous ambitions might have sounded great on paper, but in order to win the 2024 election, it seems that turning the tide on electric vehicle mandates is more than just political maneuvering; it’s a sheer necessity.
Democrats may want to think twice before hoping Harris becomes their face for 2024. Given her track record—dropping out of the 2020 presidential race before the primaries and getting a golden ticket from party insiders—it remains to be seen just how much public support she can actually garner. While she may have the backing of the elite, when the rubber meets the road, the concerns of average voters might just drive home the realization that electing her could spell trouble for the Democratic party.
