If you read older news articles from the past on some of Kamala Harris’ policies, you will find that they are totally different viewpoints than what she is now professing to believe. The same goes for some of the old TV news clips that one can easily find on the internet.

In the past, she has declared many times that she wants to ban fracking. Now that she needs to win the state of Pennsylvania, she has conveniently changed her mind. Harris has repeatedly flip-flopped on fracking to extract oil and gas on U.S. soil. Her reversals on energy production are important to consider heading into the general election.

This could also affect states like West Virginia and Kentucky that have gas wells.

She has repeatedly said that building a border wall was a waste of money. Now she says she wants to build the wall just like Donald Trump started during his term to help stop the millions of illegal immigrants flooding across the border. (Remember that Biden put her in charge of the border, but millions of illegals, many of them criminals, have crossed illegally. Many of these illegals get free hotel rooms, debit cards, health care and cell phones.) However, it’s not “free” for us – because who do you think is paying for all of those conveniences to these illegals? The American citizens are.

I was brought up to believe charity begins at home. There are many veterans, senior citizens and other U.S. citizens that do not get benefits like this.

While serving in California, she was quoted as saying she wanted to buy back guns. Now she says she owns a gun, hinting that she has changed her stance on gun ownership also. Her beliefs (and her accent) change depending on her audience.

Harris has never supported law enforcement and has often talked about defunding the police. We know crime is higher, especially in certain cities and parts of the country. To take money away from police departments is a crime in itself and leaves us all vulnerable to these rabid criminals who are taking over entire cities – San Francisco being a prime example.

She insists that “Bidenomics” is working. However, she dodges any questions about the economy and inflation.

She wanted all future cars to become electric. Now she has changed her mind on that stance.

In reality, the Biden-Harris administration saw inflation spike to the highest level in 40 years in the summer of 2022. The price of items like food and housing remain shamefully high for millions of Americans. When Trump left office, gasoline cost around $1.89 per gallon. Just go fill up now, and even though lately the price has dropped from last year, it is still a lot higher than it was four years ago.

Harris wants Medicare for all. But she won’t talk about that now in any interviews. That will certainly raise taxes. She has reportedly said she wants to get rid of private insurance.

She wants to give $25,000 free to people who want to buy new homes. But will that raise taxes? She won’t say.

She will not give any interviews without first giving the journalist the questions so she will have the answers rehearsed and memorized ahead of time.

The current vice president and Democratic nominee has expressed support for decriminalizing prostitution, both as a senator from California and as San Francisco district attorney. But with the 59-year-old up for the highest office in the land, the campaign has refused to say whether that stance still holds.

Trump has stated many times that he has no interest in signing a federal ban on abortion. He said that due to the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, there is no need for such a ban. He said the issue should be left to the individual states.

Harris is for abortion. Her running mate Tim Walz signed a bill in Minnesota for late-term abortions. I know this is a touchy subject, but late-term abortions should never be legalized. I believe that a woman has a right to do what she wants with her own body. However, when she has another life inside of her – it is no longer just her body. There is another person involved.

Harris dodged pertinent questions and did not answer many important questions that mattered in the presidential debates. When asked about the economy, she went into a speech about being raised in a middle-class family. So what? What will you do about the economy?

She also stole Trump’s idea about not taxing tips for food service and other workers who receive tips for their hard work. Now she is using his idea at some of her rallies.

Do not forget about the war in Ukraine and the war and terrorists in the Middle East. The Biden-Harris administration has sent billions to Ukraine and millions are unaccounted for. Harris does not seem to support Israel like Trump and others have. Not to mention the ongoing threat from China and North Korea. Does she have the experience to handle foreign affairs?

Lately you have heard the term “word salad” when talking about Harris. This just means she doesn’t really answer many questions with any substance. She just spouts memorized statements that make no sense and in no way answer a question.

Here is an example from a speech Harris delivered recently: “I grew up understanding the children of the community are the children of the community, and we should all have a vested interest in ensuring that children can grow up with the resources that they need to achieve their God-given potential.”

Just like when asked about the economy, she talks about growing up in a middle-class household. That does not answer the question of what she will do about inflation and the terrible economy.

I understand that Trump has his faults too. He is not one of those smooth-talking career politicians. He can come across as crude and rough around the edges. But he does what he says he will do. And I will take direct productivity over smooth-talking nonsense any day. I am voting policy over personality. This election is about policies and leadership ability – not whether you are a Democrat or Republican. It is about not only our future economic security but our national security. Protecting our borders must be our No. 1 priority.

We live in a free country and we all have the right to vote for whom we want. So it is up to you.

Until next time.

(Some information for this column came from USA Today and internet research.)

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)

(Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the newspaper’s management, staff or ownership. We encourage a diversity of perspectives and foster open dialogue on important issues, but these opinions are solely the responsibility of the contributors.)