While President Joe Biden has repeatedly insisted he has no plans to drop out of the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as a possible Democratic alternative to Biden. Leading Democrats say Harris’ name recognition, policy experience and ability to connect with key voters make her an attractive challenger to Republican nominee Donald Trump.
But if Joe Biden withdraws, can the 59-year-old defeat Donald Trump?
After the disastrous first presidential debate between a sitting president and a former president, critics, political analysts and voices within the Democratic Party suggested Biden should be replaced. And the first name that came to everyone’s mind was Kamala Harris. Polls suggest that her candidacy could be a game changer for the Democratic Party.
Polls suggest that Vice President Harris may perform better against former President Trump than Biden. A CNN poll released on July 2 showed Harris trailing Trump by just two points, 47% to 45%, while Biden trailed by six points.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll put Harris in line with Trump at 42% support each. The poll also showed that she performed better than Biden among independents and women.
But experts are skeptical of these early polls. They think that voters’ opinions will change if Biden withdraws and other Democrats join the race. Pollsters close to the Biden campaign think that Harris might gain the support of more voters, but they’re not sure that she will make a big difference. They think that these early polls don’t mean much. Harris is doing well among young voters and minorities, groups that are important for the Democratic Party. But it’s unclear whether she will boost turnout among these voters. For now, it’s a “wait and see” situation.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) suggested President Biden should either win in a landslide victory or give the nomination to a candidate who can do so. He added that Kamala Harris “could very well win in a landslide victory” over Trump.
Jamal Simmons, a veteran Democratic strategist and former communications director for Kamala Harris, has warned against “underestimating” the vice president. In an interview with the BBC, Simmons said Harris is a force to be reckoned with, whether she endorses Biden or leads her own candidacy. “She’s someone the Republican Party and the Trump campaign should take seriously,” Simmons said.
Republicans have also acknowledged Kamala Harris could be a potential successor to Joe Biden, with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) saying her nomination would mean a “dramatically different campaign” and describing her as a “dynamic” candidate.
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