Staff Reports
Polling data in recent weeks has shown a dramatic shift in the political landscape, specifically regarding Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Despite an entire month of shiny, positive media coverage designed to boost Harris’s image as she entered the race, her slight leads in crucial battleground states have taken a nosedive. With the Cook Political Report and a New York Times/Siena College poll indicating she was ahead just last week, it appears the real voters are no longer swayed by the Hollywood-style glamour the media has been selling.
New data from Navigator Research, released recently, reveals that the race has tightened to a virtual tie in key states like Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In fact, Trump is now leading Harris by one percentage point in Arizona and two points in Pennsylvania, which can only be interpreted as a wake-up call for Harris and her team. It’s as if the voters have gotten wind of the fact that quality, not just quantity, matters when it comes to political coverage.
Kamala Harris' Lead Vanishes, Hit Hard by New Polls as Trump's Momentum Takes Over via @WestJournalism https://t.co/KcvCAAytGs
If this article was honest it would say 600 inner city voters all here illegally and Trump is still ahead nobody should pay attention to any poll they— Howard Fisher (@howardf904) August 22, 2024
For those keeping track, the Navigator survey echoes the RealClear Politics average, which not only includes the battleground states but also adds Nevada and Georgia into the mix. This average shows that Trump currently holds a slender 0.2 percent lead across seven states. In a world where margins matter, that 0.2 percent, combined with solid leads in most states except for a couple where Harris is merely ahead by the skin of her teeth, spells out a potential disaster for Democrats.
Considering that Trump enjoyed over a four percent lead across these states before Biden’s untimely exit from the race, it’s evident that Harris’s campaign is running out of the momentum gifted to her by the media. The media may throw roses, but the voters don’t seem to be falling for the theatrics. CNN analyst Van Jones voiced some fears, expressing disbelief that with nearly four weeks of “positive press,” Harris finds herself tied with Trump. It is not the position champions in the media had hoped for as they tried to spin Harris’s campaign as flawless.
Moreover, in a delightful juxtaposition, it’s noted that Harris is actually polling better than Biden did in the critical battleground states before he bowed out. This begs the question: If she’s been elevated to such heroic status by the press, how can the numbers still remain neck and neck? Axelrod, a key figure from the Obama administration, added to the drama by acknowledging that while things have changed, the race remains too close for comfort for the Democrats. Trump’s chances look significantly better now than during the 2020 election cycle, suggesting that the political tides are shifting once again.
In summary, while Harris’s supporters may be clapping themselves on the back for her progress, the writing appears to be on the wall: voters are not easily swayed by mere press releases and photo ops. The upcoming months will be a true test, and with Trump revving up his engine and Harris merely trying to keep the car from stalling, it’s clear that 2024 will not play out the way many on the left envisioned.
