Staff Reports
Kamala Harris’s hopes of contending in pivotal swing states are circling the drain faster than a flushing toilet, with new polling numbers spelling doom for her candidacy among likely voters. The latest data from a New York Times and Siena College poll, which has sent the Trump campaign into a celebration worthy of a fireworks show, indicates swing voters in states like Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia are ditching Harris faster than a bad habit.
In the Grand Canyon State, Harris has gone from a 5% lead just a month ago to trailing Trump by the same margin. North Carolina is telling a similar sad tale, as Trump has snuck ahead by 2%, flipping the script where Harris once had the upper hand. Georgia’s stat sheet reads like a bad sitcom plot twist, where Trump now enjoys a 4% lead after Harris had previously been ahead. With nearly 2,700 voters surveyed, the results suggest that the public is returning to sympathy for Trump, especially in light of the recent assassination attempts that have turned citizens’ concern into support. The poll’s 3% margin of error makes these leads even more concrete, confirming that Trump’s bounce back isn’t just a mirage in the desert.
🇺🇲 2024 GE: NYT/@SienaResearch
ARIZONA
🟥 Trump: 50% (+5)
🟦 Harris: 45%Last poll (8/15) – 🔵 Harris +5
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NORTH CAROLINA
🟥 Trump: 49% (+2)
🟦 Harris: 47%Last poll – 🔵 Harris +2
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GEORGIA
🟥 Trump: 49% (+4)
🟦 Harris: 45%Last poll – 🔴 Trump +4
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#1 (3.0/3.0) |… pic.twitter.com/oItjnaKpFJ— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) September 23, 2024
Harris’s strategists are clearly sweating bullets as they look at potential bloodbath outcomes in swinging states. The wise folks over in her camp are already girding for a disaster where they might lose not only Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia but also Wisconsin and Michigan. However, they cling to the unlikely hope of holding Pennsylvania while hoping to snag a couple of Electoral College votes from Nebraska and Maine. That plan is increasingly looking like a house of cards, especially since Nebraska Republicans are getting ready to amend how their delegates are counted.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina gubernatorial race is taking some sharp turns of its own. GOP candidate Mark Robinson finds himself embroiled in controversy thanks to a shocking CNN report that would make anyone cringe. Accused of extravagant online behavior that could only be described as pure insanity, his scandals could potentially act like an anchor on Trump’s ship. Harris’s team seems to be gearing up to connect the dots between Trump and Robinson, hoping to spin it into something that sticks. However, given that Robinson is already shedding staff like autumn leaves, the strategy’s effectiveness is yet to be seen.
In Arizona, the immigration debate has reached a fever pitch, which isn’t doing Harris any favors. The state’s problems with illegal immigration have become so acute that even the Lone Star State is erecting razor wire to keep the tide of incomers at bay. Kari Lake, the Republican Senate candidate, is making waves by putting the blame squarely on Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego for being a vocal supporter of President Biden’s disastrous immigration policies.
As for Georgia, Trump’s legal battles seem to have the opposite effect that Democrats hoped for. Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s prosecution appears to be collapsing under its own weight, reminding voters of the absurd “witch hunt” narrative pushed by Trump’s supporters. His move to toss the case out on grounds of prosecutorial misconduct could very well bolster his appeal among voters who see the political system for what it is—a playground for partisans looking to take down their opponents by any means necessary. The unfolding drama only amplifies the feeling that Harris is on increasingly shaky ground, with each swing state slipping away like sand through her fingers.
