It’s rather amusing to observe that Democrats consider Kamala Harris a better figurehead since Joe Biden stepped back from the presidential race. Inexplicably, 44% of American adults have shifted in their opinion of Harris, an increase of a whopping 8% since May. A similar but less exaggerated phenomenon is seen in Donald Trump’s approval ratings. Currently, 42% favor the former president, a moderate rise in popularity from 39% three months ago. The similarity they share? Their popularity surge was primarily from their own party members, a clear sign of partisan bias.
Despite the evident polarity in American politics, a significant portion of Democrats—83% to be exact—now look at Kamala Harris in favorable light. This might be considered a surprising feat, when only a few months ago, some 65% of Democrats held her in high regard. However, the Republican crowd remains unimpressed — only about 9% have a favorable outlook towards her while the remaining 89% continue to view her unfavorably.
Shift your attention to Donald Trump, and you’ll see a different landscape. Trump has been able to accrue an incrementally larger fan base among Republicans, seeing a 5-point increase from 74% in May to 79% now. Such levels of popularity haven’t been seen for at least two years. Interestingly, similar to Harris, his reputation with Democrats is glaringly low.
The disdain Democrats feel for Trump mirrors the animosity Republicans harbor for Harris. A staggering 92% of Democrats have a negative view of the former president. Just months ago, one in every four Americans harbored unfavorable opinions of both Trump and Biden, a level of dual animosity unprecedented in the last three decades.
Yet, in an unexpected turn of events, following Harris stepping into Biden’s shoes as the lead Democrat nominee, this ‘double negativity’ has seen a significant reduction. At present, 14% of Americans, which includes almost equal percentages of Republicans and Democrats, hold negative views of both Trump and Harris.
The public sentiment towards Joe Biden, however, is unmistakably negative. A majority—62% of US citizens—have an unfavorable opinion of the current president, while only 37% view him in a positive light. These ratings have remained stagnant over the past year, highlighting the public’s disillusionment with Biden’s presidency.
In an almost pitiful attempt to keep spirits up, Biden has observed a minor rise in favorability from 67% to 70% among his own party members since May. However, this barely changes his overwhelmingly negative reputation among Republicans (93% unfavorable) that has stayed constant month to month.
Kamala Harris and the Hollow Victory of Popularity Amongst Democrats appeared first on Real News Now.
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