Staff Reports
The summer solstice of “good vibes” has passed, and so has Kamala Harris’s brief dalliance with political relevance. A new poll from the New York Times was like a bucket of icy water on her campaign parade, revealing the stark reality: Donald Trump is leading, and the race is heating up faster than a summer cookout.
Harris, who seemingly took a page out of the hide-and-seek playbook, has not held a single press conference since kicking off her campaign in July. Her one friendly chat with CNN was about as illuminating as a foggy night with no streetlights, leaving her policy positions murky at best. Meanwhile, Trump’s polling numbers have jumped, showing that 48% of likely voters support him compared to Harris’s 47%. While this is within the margin of error, it nonetheless spells trouble for a campaign floundering in the deep end of the pool.
Kamala and Trump were tied in the betting markets when she hadn’t done an interview or articulated her policies.
She literally opened her mouth and gave Trump a double digit lead.
Oh, and tomorrow is the debate. pic.twitter.com/8KsyS2gMtm
— Addison Smith (@AddisonSmithTV) September 9, 2024
It’s noteworthy that the numbers are reminiscent of the race just after Joe Biden graciously decided to bow out in July and hand over the reins. 1,695 voters were surveyed in early September, and while the margin of error stands at ±2.8 percentage points, the implications are clear: Kamala needs a dramatic entrance back into the spotlight or risk being swept off stage altogether.
Despite all the frantic attempts by Democrats to paint Trump as a dangerous criminal mastermind, their character assassination campaign isn’t landing where they hoped. Voters perceive Trump as a slightly riskier option than Harris, but the margin is razor-thin. When asked about extremist tendencies, 32% labeled Trump as too conservative, but a staggering 47% thought Harris could use a little less of that liberal agenda. This reinforces the notion that “Comrade Kamala” isn’t exactly striking a chord with average Americans.
In a delightful twist, 53% of likely voters viewed Trump as the candidate of change, which might come as a surprise to those who thought Harris could pull that off as Vice President. Only 25% see her as a transformative figure, proving that the “change” narrative, which she attempts to push, isn’t gaining any traction. Given that a Vice President typically holds the title of “change,” it’s safe to say Harris has tumbled down that rabbit hole without a map.
Polling expert Nate Silver has also been singing a different tune lately, stating that Trump’s chances have surged above 60% for an Electoral College victory. The competitors may want to take a hint from the political playbook here: When your campaign strategy is “let’s avoid the press,” you might want to rethink your approach before it’s game over. As the political landscape shifts, Harris may need more than just good vibes and wishful thinking to keep her name in the conversation.
