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Harris constantly shifting, conservative says

Kamala Harris is what she needs to be in the moment, a conservative columnist said.

As the 2024 presidential election nears, Panther reporters met with Colonel Bill Connor via Zoom to discuss the candidates and issues. The Orangeburg attorney and veteran of the war in Afghanistan said the Democratic nominee and vice president changes her accent to appeal to a certain audience.

She “goes overboard more than most politicians in shifting her message,” Connor said. “She does a bit of shapeshifting for the crowd she’s in.”

A supporter of Republican former President Donald Trump, Connor shared his personal thoughts about Harris potentially becoming president.

“I like her as a person (but) you have to look at someone’s past,” Connor said.

A Harris administration could lead the nation to socialism. “My concern is we will see a move towards socialism.”

He is also concerned about nuclear conflict, saying her administration could lead to war.

“We need to find a way to reach a peace,” Connor said. 

Connor said Harris aligns with President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, which he calls weak.

He cited her agreeing with Biden’s decision on how to withdraw from Afghanistan, a policy decision that has been widely criticized.

“She is with his foreign policy, which is bad,” Connor said. 

Connor believes the Harris campaign has reached its climax and now is on a steady decline in poll numbers and votes. 

“I think that Trump is going to win in the end,” Connor said.

The election has a multitude of historical differences, he said.

One is the sudden emergence of the Democratic nominee in the polls. Harris entered the race after Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee.

Connor also cited the multiple assassination attempts aimed at Trump. “We have two within two months … just an absolute historical anomaly.”

Connor said youth should be concerned about the economy, with Trump being better for them than Harris.

Trump improved the economy during his presidency, Connor said. “Trump economically really did well.”

He said people want to live a comfortable lifestyle without the stress of financial struggles or homelessness. 

“People want to get married, they want to have children, but they want to be able to afford children and put them in houses,” Connor said.

Trump “is the best person for the youth vote,” he said.

Connor acknowledged Harris’ performance in the recent presidential debate.

“Her performance was good” and “I don’t think Trump did as well as he could,” Connor said. 

But Connor said Harris is constantly changing positions without saying why. “If you are going to change a position, there has to be a reason for it.”

He said Harris has changed positions on:

• Fracking 
• Immigration/the southern border
• Taxpayers’ money 
• Reparations for slavery
• Guns 

Too many changes make a candidate lose authenticity, he said.

As to Trump, Connor said he does not read from a script and just voices his opinion. 

“Sometimes it is good to just let people go ahead and talk and say what they want to say,” Connor said. 

Connor cited the importance of media in the presidential election and introduced the topic of group thinking. The "media has generally been a profession to the left."

"If everybody pretty much … is in one way of thinking and seeing things, that will affect critical thinking," Connor said.

Connor connects his personal experience in the military to further the idea of groupthink.

He remembers the classes he took in the military and how they made him think beyond his personal beliefs. Connor believes the media are doing the opposite, especially concerning Trump.

He recalled that earlier in the election, the press urged Harris to be “dropped as vice president because she was such a drag, and her poll numbers were terrible.” However, the media began to shift once Biden exited, and Harris gained support across the board.

Connor said how the media covered Biden’s health is another example.

“He’s got mental issues; he is an 80-something-year-old man. He’s got some level of decline. And yet that was not being recognized in the mainstream media,” Connor said. 

During the summer debate between Biden and Trump, the “gig was up” and the media could no longer hide Biden’s health decline, Connor said.

Connor believes a candidate's inconsistent stances, without reason, play into voter respect. 

“That bothers me. It becomes a lack of respect for voters,” Bill Connor said. 

Connor does not believe student loan forgiveness will happen. He said fairness is the primary issue.

“The Supreme Court has already shot down the first general proposal,” Connor said.

Yet he does not discourage people from taking advantage of the program if it ultimately is approved. “If it got through, go ahead and take advantage of it.”

Connor is confident about Trump’s win despite the election being close.

“This election is neck and neck,” Connor said. “I think that Trump is going to win in the end.