Survey data reveals that, bewilderingly, Kamala Harris seems to be the preferred nominee for the Democrats come the 2028 presidential race. She departs the White House alongside JD Vance with both seemingly focused on this future contest. Is it possible that our political arena is headed towards a clash of two vice-presidential personalities in the upcoming presidential race? This intriguing suggestion has been fuelled by a recent YouGov poll.
Somewhat inexplicably, current Vice President JD Vance and former Vice President Kamala Harris are suggested to be leading the virtual poll for their respective party nominations. Surprising as it may be, about one in four Democratic supporters favour Harris for president, a notion that may leave many shaking their heads. The underwhelming former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg only managed to woo 10% of the participants.
Shockingly, even self-proclaimed progressive champions like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders lag behind Harris, each earning just an 8% preference. However, when Democrats were asked to consider hypothetically voting in the 2028 race, the befuddling preference for Harris remained consistent. Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz seemingly appeared out of nowhere as the second preference among the Democratic leaning voters.
But the bewildering preference for Harris pales in comparison to the overwhelming support for JD Vance among Republicans. A whopping 43% of Republicans want to see Vance secure the party’s nomination, an approval rating that dwarfs the meagre figures for other contenders. Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president, receives less than a quarter of Vance’s support.
Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ranks third among Republicans, only commands a paltry 8% of support. Most startling of all is the overwhelming 68% of Republican-leaning voters who would consider Vance as the GOP nominee, while DeSantis, despite his media prominence, is second at only 43%. Trump Jr. rather pitifully hangs on in the race, with tepid support of 37% articulated among the polled individuals.
Bear in mind, the prospect of two ex-vice presidents squaring off in a general election is an extremely rare phenomenon. The history books recall just one such face-off, when Vice President Thomas Jefferson defeated President John Adams in the 1800 race. Back then though, the presidential race had a strange quirk: the runner-up was automatically appointed vice-president.
The recent surprisingly thorough poll delivered several revealing insights. A major revelation was that 49% of voters expressed their discontent with President Donald Trump’s performance. This disapproval closely resembles the 49% who disapprove of Congress’s work, suggesting a general disillusionment with the state of American politics.
Meanwhile, Trump received a thin sliver of approval from 46% of voters. It’s worth a stifled laugh, perhaps, because the approval rating of Congress was a dismal 23%. Clearly, this polling data suggests deep discontent among the American populace, dissatisfied with both their President and the parliamentary body as a whole.