But his actual positions on issues are quite progressive (for an American politician). That is why Indivisible endorsed him. Read his positions on his campaign website: https://harleyforcongress.com/issues/index.html
In the Rolling Stone article you cite, they asked him how he will "frame" himself against Dana Rohrabacher. He responded that he thinks he's a moderate compared to "extreme" Dana Rohrabacher. I think that is quite correct. American progressives' positions are quite moderate compared to the political parties of the world. And Harley saying he thinks he's a moderate (much like Obama said about himself) was certainly smart framing for Orange County.
We all know he used to be a Republican, but when you look at Harley's actual positions NOW, they are bold and progressive (again, in the context of an American politician). From his above campaign website:
-Tuition-free public college: "To level the achievement gap once and for all, we need to invest in universal Pre-K; we need to phase in tuition-free education at non-profit public colleges and universities."
-Gun Reform: "We need to implement mandatory background checks for all gun buyers, including online, at gun shows, and even for 3-D printed guns. We need to prevent all convicted domestic abusers from buying guns and once-and-for-all close the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” And we need to ban assault rifles and high capacity magazines, ban the sale of guns to violent criminals and the mentally ill, and ensure that every gun-buyer is subject to an appropriate waiting period for all purchases."
-Green new jobs: "Republican leaders in Washington continue to deny the threat of man-made climate change, the pristine natural beauty which makes our home district so special is under attack. I am working to protect California’s most precious asset, our beautiful coastlines, from new offshore drilling. We need to focus on consistently choosing clean energy over the fossil fuels of the past.
-Get Money out of politics- pledged to "not take money from Big Oil, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma or the Gun Lobby -- or any corporate PAC."
-Health Care as a Right - Medicare for All as goal: "While the Affordable Care Act was not perfect, it was a step in the right direction. The ACA did well to prohibit discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions and to allow children to stay on their parents’ plan until age 26. However, instead of working to adjust, reform, improve and expand the ACA, Republican leaders in Washington have taken to playing politics with Americans’ health care." "I believe our nation’s health care system reflects how we treat each other in times of need. We need to join the rest of the advanced world and finally ensure that health care coverage is a right for every American. To achieve this goal, we must pursue Medicare for all as a long-term solution; we must attend to the nation’s most pressing public health crises, such as the opioid crisis, by prioritizing treatment and prevention efforts and ending the overprescription of painkillers; and we need to empower and expand organizations like Planned Parenthood, who help fill the void of our fragmented health care system."
So, hack89, how is that significantly different than, say, AOC's positions? Harley is certainly more low key than AOC, but he is fighting for the same goals. It appears the main difference is he thinks it will take longer to achieve these goals than AOC does, and that they will need to be be phased in to avoid disruptions.
I was at the town halls he had in the beach towns of Orange County. It was him touting those progressive positions that got the crowds fired up and applauding.
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