The Daily Blast: Bad News for Trump: In Striking New Polling, Kamala Hits Key Milestone
Sep 18, 2024
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Kamala Harris, the Vice President and a key figure in rebuilding coalitions for the upcoming elections, discusses her recent rise in favorability ratings that have finally crossed into positive territory. Joined by Nick Ahamed, deputy executive director of a Democratic Super PAC, they delve into the challenges she faces in uniting the Democratic base. They examine crucial polling trends in swing states and the importance of engaging young and marginalized voters. Harris emphasizes the need for targeted outreach and her entrepreneurial focus to regain trust and improve her standing.
Kamala Harris has gained positive favorability ratings for the first time, indicating progress in her campaign efforts to connect with voters.
Despite this advancement, she needs to intensify outreach to undecided young voters and voters of color to solidify her support base.
Deep dives
Kamala Harris's Rising Favorability
Kamala Harris has recently crossed into positive favorability ratings for the first time in the latest polling, with nearly 47% of voters viewing her positively. This increase is attributed to successful strategies like her participation in the Democratic convention, debates, and her nationwide campaign efforts that introduced her to more voters. However, despite this progress, Harris still faces challenges in solidifying the Democratic coalition that was crucial in the 2020 election, as many voters remain undecided or are disconnected from her message. Engaging with voters, particularly in local news outlets, appears to be essential for Harris to continue improving her public perception.
Challenges in Engaging Young and Minority Voters
Polling data reveals that while a majority of young voters and voters of color supported Biden in 2020, significant portions remain hesitant to back Harris for the upcoming election. Approximately 15% of young Biden supporters have not fully committed to Harris, and a notable number of potential voters of color from the 2020 elections are still undecided. The communication barriers stemming from a fractured media landscape complicate efforts to reach these groups, necessitating targeted campaigns that resonate with their specific experiences. Engaging with these demographics remains crucial, especially as they have historically been critical in shaping electoral outcomes.
Importance of Addressing Economic Issues
Harris's messages about entrepreneurship and economic opportunities resonate particularly well with young voters, especially men of color, who often feel marginalized within the current economic landscape. The campaign's focus on small business development and support for entrepreneurs has shown to significantly increase Harris's trust among these voter groups. Moreover, discussions about reproductive rights also play a vital role in galvanizing support, as they connect broader social justice issues that young and diverse voters care about. To effectively mobilize these voters, the campaign needs to highlight these core issues while introducing relatable community voices that can advocate for Harris's vision.
For the first time, Kamala Harris’ favorability rating has crossed into positive territory in FiveThirtyEight’s latest polling averages. That’s a crucial threshold, as Harris is introducing herself to votes within a highly compressed timetable. But there’s still work to do: Harris has not yet fully rebuilt the coalition that ousted Donald Trump in 2020. We talked to Nick Ahamed, deputy executive director of the Democratic Super PAC Priorities USA, who walks us through the group’s own interesting new polling in the swing states—andexplainswhat now must be done for Harris to finish the job.