By Renee Scheidt

I’ve never liked chameleons. These lizards with long tails and tongues whose eyes move independently of one another change their appearance like we change clothes. From one minute to the next, they can look completely different. They remind me of politicians who say one thing here, and another thing there. Their positions change depending on the current popular opinions of the majority. They do and say anything needed to get elected. You only discover their true colors once they’re in office. Sorry, it’s too late then. That’s why extensive research must be done now before votes are cast.

Recently a new chameleon has taken center stage in the political world. Kamala Harris was thrust into the spotlight after Biden was essentially pushed out of the race. Somehow, in this short time, Harris has shifted from being considered a horrible vice president to the darling savior of the Democrat Party. Not chosen by the people, the Democratic Machine selected her. Elon Musk accurately stated, “The party that cries Donald Trump is a threat to democracy just forced out the candidate that their voters chose and nominated a candidate that no one voted for. The hypocrisy is immense in the Democratic Party.”

With no serious interviews of her positions and with the help of the media who covered up Biden’s decline, she may well laugh and smile her way into the Oval Office. In the meantime, she uses word salads that say nothing of substance, obfuscating on various subjects and never articulating her views. If she can keep it up for the next 90 days, she’ll be home-free.

Looking at her record should tell us where she stands. But like all good chameleons, she is now back-peddling from previously held positions. Did she truly change her mind or is she just spouting what needs to be said to get elected?

Unlike what she’d have us believe, Harris was born into an upper-middle-class family. Her father, Donald J. Harris, came from a Jamaican family who originally had a sugar plantation worked by slaves, a fact Mr. Harris has acknowledged. He graduated with a Ph.D from Berkeley and ended his career as a professor at Stanford. Her mother, from south India, became a professor at Berkeley. For a time, she moved to Canada with 12-year-old Kamala where they lived until Kamala’s high school graduation. With parents educated at West Coast liberal universities, is it any wonder Harris was considered the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate, even more radical than Bernie Sanders?

As Biden’s vice president, her approval rating was so low that they considered dropping her from Biden’s re-election bid. While in this position, she has done nothing to establish herself as a strong leader. As border czar, she has been a total failure. Though she only visited the border once in June of 2021 to see firsthand how bad the situation is, she often proclaimed, “The border is secure.” Yet millions of illegal aliens have invaded our country. We don’t know who they are, where they are or their intentions.   

Her past positions include giving amnesty to illegal aliens, banning fracking and continued reduction of fossil fuel usage. She praised defunding the police and said ICE should be abolished. She is pro-abortion on demand (framed as “women’s productive rights) including up to the moment of birth. She cast the tie-breaking vote on the New Green Energy Deal, believes “Bidenomics” is working for Americans and lied to us about Biden’s health status. She encouraged the rioters following George Floyd’s death and sent money to the bail fund so violent criminals could get out of jail. She said there should be mandatory gun buyback programs and thinks illegals should be eligible for government healthcare. She basically spit in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s face when he spoke to Congress last week by being noticeably absent. The bottom line? She’s a radical San Francisco liberal.

There is a good chance North Carolinians will be able to see Kamala in person before the election. Just remember, chameleons change colors as needed. Words are cheap. It’s actions that tell what a person believes. Don’t be fooled by recent shifts to the center. She’s already shown her true self.

Renee Scheidt lives in Salisbury.