US Vice President Kamala Harris leads former US President Donald Trump by four points each in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin among likely voters, according to new polls by The New York Times and Siena College.
Kamala Harris has transformed the 2024 presidential election, showing a major shift from previous Times/Siena polls, which found Trump leading Harris and President Joe Biden by an average of one to two points each in the same three states.
However, it is sometimes difficult to explain why polls change from week to week or month to month. The New York Times reported that it is difficult to explain why voters change in today’s polarized politics.
Until now, the basic dynamics of the race were driven by the unpopularity of US President Biden, which prevented Democrats from applying their usual strategy against Trump and his allies in the MAGA movement, turning the election into a referendum on Trump by presenting a widely acceptable candidate.
Notably, millions of voters were left facing an agonizing choice between two candidates they didn’t like. In the poll, at least 49 percent of likely voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin say they have a favorable opinion of her — a level neither Harris nor Biden achieved in any previous Times/Siena poll this cycle, The New York Times reported.
Opinions of Donald Trump have not diminished; in fact, his popularity rating has risen slightly, to 46 percent in all three states, which is enough to represent his highest rating in the history of the Times/Siena polls. According to most people, Harris is honest and intelligent and brings the right kind of change and temperament to be president, adding that she has a clear vision for the country.
But most don’t think he’s too left-wing, either: Only 44 percent of likely voters say he’s too liberal or progressive, compared with 44 percent who say he’s neither too left-wing nor progressive enough and another 6 percent who say he’s not progressive enough, The New York Times reported.
Moreover, Kamala Harris may be polling as a run-of-the-mill Democrat, but she will now be the subject of much more scrutiny and attacks, The New York Times reported. So far, Harris has benefited from very favorable media coverage for a few weeks, along with significant endorsements and an outpouring of goodwill from voters who longed for an alternative to two previous candidates they disliked.
This period won’t last forever, however, and the question is whether she will maintain this kind of support when things get tough, The New York Times reported. Certainly, the poll doesn’t offer an indication either way, but the huge shift in opinion about Harris in recent weeks is a reminder that the public doesn’t necessarily have strong opinions about her.
While Trump’s lead over Harris in earlier polls was not necessarily based on strong opinions of the vice president, it cannot be assumed that her lead over Trump will hold firm today.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.