Staff Reports
Recent polls suggest that Vice President Kamala Harris is ahead of Donald Trump in a potential 2024 face-off, and it’s not exactly shocking. With President Joe Biden bowing out of the race (or should that be stumbling?); it appears Harris has benefited from a classic case of “better the devil you don’t know.” For many voters, the fact that she is not Biden seems like a solid reason to back her. After all, who wouldn’t prefer the charming, albeit deeply leftist, VP over a guy who, in his last campaign, couldn’t convince more voters to take a chance on him than a sad cartoon character?
The latest poll from The New York Times and Siena College shows Harris with a lead over Trump in those critical battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It’s almost as if the outcomes are determined by how well she can dodge tough questions from the press. Avoiding the media is undoubtedly a winning strategy when the record being avoided is a far-left one peppered with failures, particularly on economic issues. By keeping quiet, she allows voters to form some sort of blissful ignorance regarding her actual record while benefiting from a wave of favorable media coverage.
Harris-Harvard and Rasmussen (+5) have Trump up as well.
But then there are all the polls that are part of the psyop: "Kamala Harris is So Popular, vote for her my low-info voters", which show Kamala "leading big".
LOL, sure she is. https://t.co/amoRwJd4uv
— Nick Flor 🥋+🇺🇸 (@ProfessorF) August 9, 2024
However, while Harris may be basking in the glow of fleeting poll numbers, one must wonder just how solid this lead really is. Trump, while trailing in some polls, holds an edge among likely voters regarding trust to manage the economy. That’s a critical point, especially when considering that voters often prioritize economic stability over not-so-fancy “generic Democrat” appeal. Despite Harris’s current numbers, the reality remains that she is still seen as drastically out of touch with the American people’s daily struggles.
It’s essential to consider the fine print behind these polling numbers. The New York Times/Siena College poll reportedly has a sample size that leans toward the liberal side of the political spectrum, which typically renders its results unreliable. This is reminiscent of the 2020 election cycle when pollsters consistently miscalculated Trump’s support among swing voters. With a notable history of error, this polling should be taken with a grain—or perhaps a whole shaker—of salt.
While Harris is energetically celebrated by the media as the new frontrunner, skepticism surrounds her meteoric rise. Yes, she’s replacing Biden, and yes, her selection of a running mate appears to excite the party base. But will that enthusiasm be sustainable as the campaign progresses? Voters may appreciate the novelty, but they’re also going to want results. So far, Harris has been shielded from rigorous scrutiny; when that changes, real opinions will take shape. The question remains if voters will ultimately see Harris as the candidate or merely “the not-Biden.”
In conclusion, while Harris is enjoying the limelight, a closer look reveals that her alleged lead is more of an illusion than a solid ground to stand on.
The Trump campaign would be wise to seize on this opportunity, reminding voters of the stark ideological divide between themselves and the Harris-Walz ticket, which is now being painted as dangerously radical. All this momentum Harris has amassed could quickly dissipate if she is put under the microscope. So yes, she might be leading today, but the voters could soon be asking themselves if they really want to take the plunge into far-left territory when the stakes of the presidency are on the line.
