Now that “President” Joe Biden is out of the picture, donors have lined up to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris despite her faring worse than former President Donald Trump in the polls.
This week, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who is credited with Biden’s 2020 victory, endorsed Harris’ presidential candidacy despite dismissing concerns regarding the president’s health just weeks prior.
Clyburn's endorsement is significant for a Harris 2024 ticket because he can reach voters from processing centers and inner-city churches, from Detroit to Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Many people have cited Clyburn’s endorsement as the reason for Biden’s primary win.
A political force for Democrats, Clyburn looks to do the same for Harris— but can he?
Harris has polled well below Biden, and that says a lot, given that Biden had one of the worst approval ratings for a president in modern history.
Democrats began losing their edge in Philadelphia in 2016 when twice-failed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton barely defeated Trump with 48.4 percent of the vote compared to 47.8 percent of the vote for the Republican.
In 2020, Biden won the city by a slim margin compared to Trump (51.7 percent of the vote to Trump’s 47.3 percent).
WHYY talked to Philly voters after the debate between Biden and Trump, as many once-die-hard Democrats were turning their sights on Trump.
For many of the voters, immigration and the economy were their top concerns.
“I feel as if Trump will get a hold on that,” a Philadelphia voter said of Trump’s immigration policy, while another said, “The economy is down, the border is open, there’s a fentanyl issue. Prices are up, fuel is up. I’m scared for our kids. I’m, we’re living in hell right now. And Trump said that. So we need to get Trump back in office.”
Before Biden exited the race, Trump had a narrow 4.4 percent lead over the president in the battleground state. With Harris in the race, the 45th president still holds an advantage.
Meanwhile, Biden credited his Detroit win to Black voters in the city; however, according to the Detroit Free Press, some voters are weary of a Harris ticket.
One voter told the outlet that she’d prefer a “brand new ticket,” hoping that there would be a “better candidate for the Democratic Party.”
According to a Marist survey, Trump has 46 percent of the vote in a head-to-head matchup, while Harris has 45 percent.
Harris has some work to do among Independents, suburban, and white voters.
The poll found that she only received 32 percent of independents in a match-up against Trump, while Biden received 46 percent. In addition, Harris only got 40 percent of white voters, compared to Biden’s 47 percent, and only 42 percent of small city/suburban women, compared to 58 percent for Biden.
In comparison, Trump leads suburban voters 50 to 42 percent.