Congressional Democrats urge Harris to focus on character over policy on campaign trail

By Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju, CNN

(CNN) — Many congressional Democrats are arguing that Vice President Kamala Harris does not need to focus on laying out a detailed policy agenda as election day looms and should instead highlight the contrast in values between herself and former President Donald Trump.

Voters will be more focused on the character and values of the candidates than on policy specifics, more than a dozen Democrats have said in recent weeks in public statements and comments to CNN.

“I actually think the way the American people think about this choice is less about the minutiae of policy and more about the direction of the country, number one, and secondly, about the person. Character it does matter,” Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee told CNN while in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.

“If it turns on character, this election is over. That’s what people are looking for,” Kildee said. Kildee is not running for reelection, but Michigan is set to be a key battleground state this election cycle.

While Democrats are hoping to retain the White House, control of Congress is also at stake in the upcoming November elections, and Democrats are on guard to protect their vulnerable members in moderate and more conservative districts. A push to make the presidential election a referendum on values and character would mean that vulnerable Democrats will have more leeway on policy specifics.

Democrats argue in favor of big tent strategy

Chairwoman of the centrist New Democrat Coalition Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire suggested that there can be strength in keeping the details vague, for now.

“She doesn’t need to negotiate against herself. You know, we’ve got the biggest possible tent right now,” she said of Harris. “I don’t think there’s a real, strong reason for her to try and weed out any points of view right now.”

Harris has outlined some early policy proposals, including a plan to provide tax relief for more than 100 million middle-class and lower-income Americans, and has voiced support for continuing many of President Joe Biden’s measures, such as lowering drug costs and eliminating so-called junk fees. But she has also pitched her campaign in terms of overall ideas and values, describing her vision as “an opportunity economy” that focuses on strengthening the middle class and punishes bad actors who try to unfairly raise costs.

Now congressional Democrats are pushing to keep the focus on the big picture and values-based promises.

CNN has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Republicans have broadly criticized Harris, arguing her policy agenda lacks substance and specifics. Trump has echoed that line of attack against Harris – accusing her of focusing more on him throughout her DNC speech than certain policy areas. On the heels of Harris’ Democratic convention speech, Trump’s running mate GOP Sen. JD Vance said in a radio appearance that Democrats are running a race “completely divorced from details or policy,” and while Harris is trying to “make herself the change agent,” American voters aren’t going to buy it in November.

“What I’m hearing from voters is they’re looking for that candidate to bring us together. I haven’t heard from many voters looking for white papers and policy papers,” Democratic Rep. Nikema Williams said.

Williams, the chair of the state Democratic Party of Georgia, which is a critical battleground state, also said “Harris is for thinking, looking towards the future and moving us out of the hatred and division of Donald Trump’s politics.”

Ahead of the Democratic National Convention 36% of registered voters said Harris had not made it clear what she stood for, according to a CBS poll.

Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, who is running for his ninth term in Congress, insisted Americans don’t vote on policy prescriptions and instead “they want to see who you are. What’s your character? Can you relate? Can you lead? Are you competent?”

Democrats hope to capitalize on DNC energy

Democrats are hoping to capitalize on momentum from the DNC, and say they have the energy on their side.

“This election will clearly be won or lost on vibes and Democrats right now are winning in the vibes department after the DNC,” a Democratic aide told CNN. “We don’t need to focus on the nitty gritty. Right now we just need to focus on winning.”

Kuster also said the focus should be on candidate character and comparing “our values to the values of the chaos and drama of the Trump-Vance ticket. And so that’s where I think you’ll have people focused is, ‘do they reflect our values? Compassion, caring,’ you know, this sense that we are rebuilding America, that we’re providing jobs and opportunity and bringing down costs for hardworking American families,” she said.

“Those are the values that drive us, and there will be plenty of time, and certainly, in the transition, we’ll all be involved in getting deep into policy positions.”

Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, who is a member of Senate Democratic leadership, argued that Harris should tell voters what broader issues she wants to focus on if she is elected president, and can then work with the legislature to hammer out the details next Congress.

“We’re actually in the final stages of a campaign. We’re both at the beginning and at the final stages, and so policy papers are for spring,” he said. “And voters want to know what direction you’re going, but I honestly, I truly think it’s more honest with the voters to say ‘here are the 10 things that I’m going to work on’ than to engage in false precision and post a 700-page document with leg text all done.”

Schatz continued, “The job of the chief executive is to set national priorities, to work with the legislature and figure out what the market will bear. This idea that we’re supposed to post bills as if they are in final form is for 12 people who run podcasts.”

Another Democratic aide noted it’s all in the presentation and there can be a way to hit home big ideas on that trail. “You can articulate what policies you support, you can articulate what you want to get done, but it doesn’t have to be legislative text and it can still be substantive.”

Connolly pointed to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s failed presidential bid in 2020 as an example.

“Elizabeth Warren had a policy for every issue you could imagine. Remember, I got a policy for that. And how did she do?”

Connolly said at this juncture Harris must persuade people she is “someone I trust and have confidence in.”

CNN’s Kit Maher, Ebony Davis and Sheden Tesfaldet contributed

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