Despite the elaborate spectacle of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris could not prowess her way into winning increased support, a recent poll suggests. The ABC News/Ipsos poll, shared publicly on a Sunday, conversely exposed Harris’ minor and seemingly insubstantial four-point lead over ex-President Donald Trump amongst the registered voters and every adult in the United States; the stats stood at 50%-46%.
When we glance through the lens of likely voters, an insignificant six-point lead, i.e., 52%-46%, of the 59-year-old Vice President over Trump can be noted. In essence, the ABC News/Ipsos national poll, the results of which were unveiled on the same Sunday, indicated Harris’s stagnant support dynamics.
Following the blooming hopes from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that happened earlier in the same month, this no-bump status of Harris serves as an anecdote of disappointment echoing through the silent corridors of the political circles for her supporters. The deafening lack of enthusiasm is more of a letdown on the part of Harris particularly as Presidential candidates are typically anticipated to receive a significant surge in support post their party conventions.
These conventions are regarded as a platform where the candidates find themselves being bathed in an aglow praise, brightening their political aura, enabling them to reflect a promising image, making the nationally televised events crucial. The absence of this expected bump in support for Harris hence indicates a narrative contrary to the usual
Gary Langer, president of Langer Research Associates, the company that performed the polling, also noted this unusual trend as he referred to the scenario as ‘the locked-in nature’ of the contest. Fleetingly mentioning Trump’s similar ‘bounce-free’ position post the Republican National Convention in July, Langer primarily emphasized the hardened situation, with no shifts in the support levels following the national conventions.
However, in what could only be expected as a patchy sunlight on a cloudy day, the post-DNC poll unveiled an increased lead of Harris amounting to a meager 13 percentage points amongst women. The figures rose just up to 6 instead of breaking clouds for a sunny day for the vice president.
In a twist that was undoubtedly far from pleasant, the Vice President noticed dwindling support amongst men post the Democratic National Convention, becoming a bone of contention in her lackluster performance. More salt to her wounds was added by the transformed leanings of men who now supported Trump instead of Harris.
The paths of the spectacle leading to such an aftermath could be traced back to the times prior to the Democratic National Convention. Around that time, Harris barely managed to scrape the majority of men’s support by 3 points (49%-46%). However, post the convention, men favored Trump by 5 points (46%-51%), making the reversal a significant demonstration of the prevailing discontent.
When it comes to decisive issues on hand, voters displayed greater faith in Trump for handling matters including the economy, inflation, immigration, and the Israel-Hamas war, each trust level surpassing Harris by points ranging from 7 to 9. Such a trust deficit for Harris reflects her questionable aptitude in steering the country’s wheel.
The only saving grace for the Democratic nominee was some nods in her favour on tackling health care, safeguarding democracy, and combating gun violence. Though these nods surpassed Trump’s by 6 to 10 points, the overall image seemed far from satisfactory.
Further tainting an already unfavorable image, the higher proportion of voters, essentially pinned as a Marxist by Trump, described Harris as ‘too liberal’ for a presidential role (46%). The number was noticeably higher than those who categorized Trump as ‘too conservative’ (43%).
The ABC News/Ipsos poll, which served as a mirror reflecting these undercurrents of disappointment, conducted this survey between Aug. 23-27, with only a 2 percentage point margin of error. The troubling scenario surrounding Harris and her diminishing popularity can hence be observed as undeniable.
This sequence of events essentially underscores the brutal truth that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are simply not up to the task. It serves as a poignant reminder for those banking upon them, indicating a lack of confidence in their capabilities, and further exposing the gaping wounds of their inadequacy to effectively steer the nation.