Biden under pressure: Majority Democrats say Kamala Harris would be a good prez

As President Joe Biden faces growing pressure to reconsider his reelection bid, a significant number of Democrats believe Vice President Kamala Harris would be a strong presidential candidate. According to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about 60 per cent of Democrats think Harris would perform well as president, while around 20 per cent are unsure and another 20 per cent do not believe she would do a good job.

Post debate debacle, spotlight on Kamala Harris

Biden’s debate debacle on June 27 has led many Democrats to look to Harris as a potentially more effective nominee against GOP candidate Donald Trump. Despite this speculation, Harris has remained steadfast in her loyalty to Biden, often defending him vigorously after the debate performance.

Oakley Graham, a Democrat from Greenwood, Missouri, expressed his support for Harris, stating that while he is “pretty happy” with Biden’s accomplishments, he would be more excited to see Harris at the top of the ticket. Graham believes it is “about time” for a woman to become president and feels that Harris represents a fresh, inspiring choice for the Democratic Party.

Similarly, Shannon Bailey, a Democrat in Tampa, praised Biden’s achievements, particularly his infrastructure law and efforts to control inflation. However, she said she felt that Harris appears more “capable of handling the taxing nature of the job.” Bailey stressed the importance of having a candidate who can “really motivate people to go out to the polls,” a task she believes Harris is better suited for than Biden.

Favourability ratings

In general, Harris’s favourability ratings are on par with Biden’s, though she has a somewhat lower unfavourable rating. The poll indicates that about 40 per cent of US adults have a favorable opinion of Harris, while roughly half view her unfavourably.

In comparison, Biden faces a higher unfavourable rating, with about 60 per cent of Americans holding a negative view of him. Approximately 10 per cent of Americans say they don’t know enough about Harris to form an opinion, whereas nearly everyone has an opinion on Biden.

Black Americans, a crucial demographic for the Democratic Party, are more likely to support Harris than the general population. However, the broader American public is more skeptical about her potential performance as president. Only about 30 per cent of U.S. adults overall believe Harris would do well in the Oval Office, with half doubting her abilities and 20 per cent undecided.

Other potential Democratic candidates, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, are less well-known to the public. About 40 per cent of US adults don’t have an opinion of Newsom, and half are unfamiliar with Whitmer. Newsom is viewed slightly more negatively than positively, while Americans are divided evenly on Whitmer, with 24 per cent holding a favorable view and 22 per cent an unfavorable view.

How Harris compares to other Democrats

More Democrats see Harris as a viable presidential candidate compared to Newsom or Whitmer, partly due to their relative anonymity. Approximately one-third of Democrats think Newsom would make a good president, with half unsure. About one-quarter believe Whitmer would do well, with about two-thirds undecided.

Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, is also relatively unknown to most Americans. The AP-NORC poll, conducted before Trump announced Vance as his vice-presidential choice, found that 60 per cent of Americans don’t know enough about Vance to form an opinion. About 20 per cent of U.S. adults view Vance favorably, while another 20 per cent view him negatively. Among Republicans, 61 per cent don’t have enough information to form an opinion, about one-quarter have a positive view, and roughly 10 per cent have a negative view.

The poll, conducted from July 11-15, included 1,253 adults and has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

With inputs from AP