New polls bolster VP Kamala Harris as she withstands attacks from right-wing media and misogynists

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses a convening of Pacific nation leaders.

ANALYSIS

Women, Asian Americans and Black Americans cheered when President Biden picked Kamala Harris as his vice president. Unfortunately, the historic selection immediately put a target on Harris' back by the right wing, racists and sexists.

As vice president, Harris is the presumed frontrunner to become the next President of the United States in 2024 or 2028 depending whenever Biden decides not to run for re-election. If she were to become President, Harris would make history in a number of ways: as the nation's first woman, the first Black woman and the first Asian American.

From the day picked Harris, the conservative media machine went into overdrive to sow doubts about her capabilities: making fun of her laugh  and fashion choices to highlighting anything that could be interpreted as a misstep.

During a livestreamed event hosted by Politico’s Women Rule Exchange, Politico senior editor Anita Kumar asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki if she felt Harris was receiving more criticism because she is the first woman and first woman of color to serve as vice president.

“Yes,” the outspoken Psaki answered, before adding: “Criticism from the outside, absolutely.

“I do think that it has been easier, and harsher, from some in the right wing who have gone after her because she is the first woman, the first woman of color,” the press secretary added. “I’m not suggesting anyone will acknowledge that publicly, but I think there’s no question that the type of attacks — the attacks on her that certainly, being the first she is many times over, is part of that.”

Despite the focus on Harris' poor polling performances, as if past Vice Presidents have always done poorly. It seems to be the nature of the position, not to outshine the President and to carry out the President's agenda.

Despite the mainstream media's tendency to fall into the no-win trap set up by the negative spin by the conservative media such as the New York Post and Fox News, the Vice President received a boost from three recent polls.

An Echelon Insights survey conducted July 15-18 found that if the next election were being held today, voters would narrowly back Harris. A total of 46% of likely voters said that they would vote for Harris, compared to 44% who would back Trump in a hypothetical race. Harris also beat DeSantis by 43% to 42%, albeit within the net margin of error of 1%.

The same poll also placed President Biden over both Trump over DeSantis: (46%) over Trump (44%), with the president also the preferred choice when up against the Florida governor (45% to 41%).

When those taking part in the poll said who they would vote for between Harris and the two Republican frontrunners, the vice president also came out on top.

A total of 46 percent of likely voters said that they would vote for Harris, compared to 44 percent who would back Trump in a hypothetical race. Harris also beat DeSantis by 43%to 42%, albeit within the net margin of error of 1%.

The same poll found that if Biden and Trump decided to run in 2024, both would lose a portion of the voters that voted in 2020. run again. Biden would lose 28% and Trump would lose 58% of his voters.

A recent poll from the Harvard University Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) found that Harris had 39% support against the presumed GOP Presidential wannabe, Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis, who garnered 37%. Twenty-three percent of respondents were undecided between Harris and DeSantis.

While the White House has maintained that Biden intends to run again in 2024, there has been public speculation that Biden will not actually seek a second term due to his age. Biden has said that he would run despite being 82 in 2024 and that he would keep Harris as his second-in-command.

For Harris, there was additional good news from the poll in terms of the 2024 Democratic primaries, however. She placed second behind Biden among Democratic voters, garnering 18% support to the president's 30%.

But when Biden was excluded, Harris was the clear leader with 25% support. The next highest Democrat was Hillary Clinton polling with 15%.

Kamala Harris is polling ahead of Donald Trump and Rod DeSantis

Harris also strengthened her credentials in foreign affairs, an area her critics long considered her weakness. 

A recent Pew Research Center Survey ffound Harris fared higher with the rest of the world than in the US. Pew found a median of 55% of adults in several foreign countries have confidence in Harris to do the right thing regarding world affairs, including half or more who hold that view in 14 countries. Confidence in Harris is particularly high in Sweden, where 77% of adults view her positively.

Harris has taken on a variety of internationally focused responsibilities during her time as vice president. Those responsibilities have included a high-profile trip to Europe at the beginning of the war in Ukraine and coordination of relations with Central American leaders to stem the flow of migrants coming to the southern border of the United States. Earlier this month she reassured leaders from the Pacific nations of the US commitment to their governments.

With the Presidential election more than two years away, all the candidates still have time to change their position in the polls. A lot will depend on events between now and the elections, some of which Biden and Harris have little control over.

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