A Democratic pollster hopped on Fox News to question Vice President Kamala Harris over her evolving views on fracking, particularly given the importance of the issue to battleground state Pennsylvania.
Charles Payne, filling in for Neal Cavuto, jabbed Harris, telling the panelists — GOP fundraiser Noelle Nikpour, former Bill Clinton adviser Doug Schoen and Politico reporter Daniel Lippman — that while some people need 12 years to change their minds, others apparently "only need 12 days."
He told Schoen that Harris' insistence her values haven't changed even as her stance on fracking has evolved felt like a "wink and a nod to the core crew."
"Just help me get over the hump and I got your back," he said, imitating Harris. "How do you see it playing out?"
Schoen agreed with Payne.
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"I think that's a fair statement. I think it also means, 'Whatever I say, don't take seriously because whatever I say, my values are your values, so what I say today and what I say tomorrow doesn't really matter.' It's artful politics and frankly gives her the freedom to say and do anything she needs to do to get elected, which in the short term might be helpful, in the long term, I dare say is disastrous."
He pointed to Pennsylvania polling averages from Real Clear Politics showing Harris and former President Donald Trump in a dead heat at 47.7% and 47.2%, respectively. Schoen called those numbers the "key to the election."
"Whomever wins Pennsylvania is very likely to be the next president," he said. "It's effectively a tie, and if she is perceived to be against fracking, which was her stated position in 2019, it could cost her western Pennsylvania and ultimately the state and the presidency."
Meanwhile, Lippman noted fracking makes up a small number of the overall job market in the state.
"Fracking is — the amount of jobs in Pennsylvania — is a very small fraction," he said. "It's not like every Pennsylvanian goes to work every day and they're fracking the whole state. And so I think the commonwealth would probably survive."
Republicans aren't "denying climate change much anymore," he added, due to climate disasters, and either way, Harris is trying to appeal more to the suburbs and moderate women voters on issues other than fracking.
Watch the clip below or at this link.
