Wall Street Journal columnist Jason L. Riley should be trying out for the U.S. Olympics gymnastics team, This month he executed a perfect 180-degree turn on Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential prospects. This stunning reversal, accomplished in two weeks, showcases a level of extreme flexibility that puts the Ross Sisters to shame.
Riley's July 9 column, titled "Kamala Harris Would Be the Best Democratic Choice" proclaimed Harris as the Democrats' best hope. He wrote:
"Replacing the president at the top of the ticket with Vice President Kamala Harris is one way to shift the campaign discussion away from Mr. Biden's infirmities and back to the issues Democrats want front and center."
He even cited a CNN poll showing Harris performing better against Trump than Biden.
Fast-forward to July 23, and Riley's tune has changed dramatically. In a piece titled "Kamala Harris Isn't the Change Democrats Need," he warns:
"If the polls are correct, a growing number of black voters believe that liberals like Ms. Harris care more about the welfare of illegal immigrants than they do about the welfare of black communities."
This whiplash-inducing pivot raises questions about the columnist's motives and credibility. Is Riley suffering from short-term memory loss? Did his boss holler at him about the first one he wrote? Or is he simply writing any old thing that enters his mind whether he believes it or not — because who can be picky when you're on deadline?
Riley's next column: "Why My Last Two Columns About Harris Are Both Right."
