Last month, when Vice President Kamala Harris came to ABC’s “The View,” she was looking forward to her first encounter with Americans with her vision in tow. But when asked how she would differ from President Joe Biden, Harris came up blank herself: “Not a thing that comes to mind.” That was the biggest problem with her campaign: she just wasn’t able to differentiate herself from the lowly-rated Biden administration, whose average approval ratings had hovered around 40% during his term. This quickly turned into a campaign ad for Donald Trump, with political analyst David Axelrod declaring the moment “disastrous.”
Why Were Voters Looking for Change?
In fact, throughout the year, polls indicated that many Americans felt the country was headed in the wrong direction. While Harris presented herself as a “new generation of leadership,” her role as vice president made it difficult for her to be seen as a true “change candidate.” Her loyalty to Biden tied her to his record on issues like inflation and immigration, both of which were points of frustration for voters. Ultimately, Trump won decisively, and the Republicans took control of the Senate as well.
How Did Kamla Harris Perform Among Key Voter Groups?
It was finalized by Trump taking Pennsylvania, one of the swing states in that election. Harris’s camp had heavily bet on states like Arizona and Georgia within the Sun Belt but went down in all the targeted states. Trump built his case further in states on the crucial “blue wall”, and swept against Harris in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The New York Times said, Trump increased his margin of victory in 2,367 counties and did badly only in 240.
In 2020, Biden had strong support from both Black and Latino voters, but the ones who voted for Harris didn’t come near those numbers. According to an exit poll, she was favored by an 86%-12% margin of Black voters, down from Biden’s 92%-8% margin. Support among Latinos also declined: Harris 53%-45%, Biden 65%-32% in 2020. This pattern sparked debate about whether traditional “identity politics” remain effective, with former HUD Secretary Julián Castro arguing this could change how parties interact with similarly diverse voter pools.
Did Harris Focus Too Much on Attacking Trump?
Harris’ campaign focused on the record of Trump, branding him a “fascist” and waving previously effusive praise from former officials under his own very redemptive rhetoric. Her campaign pounded away on that democracy fight theme, echoing what Biden would do in his 2024 strategy, at least before he stepped down. But Luntz says many voters wanted to know what Harris was for, not just what she was against.
Are Democrats Second-Guessing Their Choice of Candidate?
Harris’s campaign didn’t rally women voters to the issues of abortion rights, which had been an engine of turnout in 2022 but wasn’t so in this election. Harris led among women by 54%-44%, but that was far smaller than Biden’s margin of 57%-42% over Trump in 2020. Trump’s efforts to emphasize economic issues paid off, as the economy is the area where 51% of voters said they trusted Trump more than Harris. Many voters remembered his economic leadership more favorably than they did before.
Now, Democrats are rethinking their strategy and asking if Harris was the best choice available or could have won with someone else against Trump.
