As a Republican, I bashed Biden. But Harris' far-left ideas scare me even more.

Voters are about to learn that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is far more progressive than President Joe Biden.

That's not even all of the bad news.

The rest of the bad news? Conservatives played a large role in helping to push aside Biden and to clear the way for Harris' promotion.

In a great example of "be careful what you wish for," Harris is as progressive as Republicans portrayed Biden to be. That is great for leftists, but awful for conservatives. And it will really test the beliefs of moderates.

Conservatives were shortsighted about Harris and Biden

I admit that I did not see Harris' candidacy and potential presidency coming. A lot of conservatives didn't. I realize now how stupid and shortsighted that sounds.

Let me explain: Democrats have savagely ripped Donald Trump for eight years and the Republican Party for decades. That's a long time to catch flak. When Biden took a turn for the worse, he became an obvious target for criticism. Not the 81-year-old commander in chief himself exactly, but the Democratic leadership who denied reality while backing a leader who clearly wasn't fit to serve another four years. It was an egregious error that needed to be pointed out.

The commentary almost wrote itself: How could Democrats have been so deceitful? Were they gaslighting Americans? Don't they care about democracy? The questions were important. And a bit of relief from the constant flogging Republicans have taken in the media for years. Finally, there's a new target. And it's not us.

I didn't think the Democratic Party would pivot and choose Harris. I also didn't think Harris would be a compelling candidate. Who would vote for a candidate who is so progressive and who ascended to the top of the ticket without winning a primary? But I'm certainly not her target audience.

I didn't see that the Democratic Party would do what it did: Kick Biden to the curb only months before the election. What did conservatives think we would achieve by forcing Democrats to finally scrutinize Biden? I think some of us thought that focus would lead all the way to victory. But our "gotcha" moment was short-lived.

Many Republicans, including me, did not think the Democratic Party would dump Biden and choose Harris because the GOP did not let Trump go when it could have. MAGA populists outnumber anti-Trump conservatives like me. So it wasn't even really a question. But if it had been possible, it's not something the Republican Party would do. Republicans are often not as strategic or shrewd as progressives.

Voters deserve the truth from Harris: What did Kamala Harris know about Biden's deteriorating health? And when did she know it?

One reason the Democratic Party is successful is because they have chutzpah where Republicans do not. They are ruthless where Republicans are loyal and forgiving. They are focused when Republicans hem and haw. They want victory now, not "legacy" later. Victories lead to legacies, after all.

You know what might not lead to victory? Pitting an older, white male who is a convicted felon against a younger, energetic, progressive Black and South Asian female.

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Republicans called Biden a far-left liberal. Harris actually is.

Conservatives have made Biden out to be a far-left progressive who was too old and weak to serve effectively. Some of that is true, but he really isn't a far-left liberal. Conservatives slammed his tax policies, his college loan forgiveness program and his "Build Back Better" program as utter failures. But compared with Harris, Biden's policies will look moderate.

Harris appeals to Democrats who favor leftist rhetoric regarding inclusion and equality and progressive policies such as eliminating private health insurance, imposing mandatory gun buyback programs, banning hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas, and opposing the hiring of more police officers.

I love being a mom. But JD Vance is horribly wrong about 'childless cat ladies.'

For conservatives, her sudden candidacy provides a chance to take a deep dive into her record, her ideas and her policies. It's with her own ideas that we can show moderates and independents that a Harris presidency would decrease the quality of life for most Americans.

Harris stands in stark contrast to conservative ideas and values. And her candidacy forces us to ask what a Harris presidency would mean for the future of our nation. Harris versus Trump provides a clarifying moment for America: Which direction do we really want to go?

I complained about Biden, but I can tell you now, a Kamala Harris presidency would make the past four years look like a Republican has been in charge.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How progressive is Harris? She makes Biden look like a Republican