Voters from the City of Philadelphia and from suburban Bucks County, Pa. — two Democratic strongholds that were critical to President Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral college — were recently interviewed by The Los Angeles Times about the current administration.
And it’s big trouble for top Democrats.
Voters were asked about Vice President Kamala Harris, and their findings illustrate the serious concerns about Harris’s increasing unpopularity among Democrats.
Even among liberal loyalists, Kamala Harris is trouble.
“Susan Giffen, a Democratic voter who lives in one of the nation’s most important political swing districts, said Vice President Kamala Harris is savvy, asks perceptive questions and would make a good president. But Giffen, a 69-year-old retiree from New Hope, Pa., believes it will never happen,” The LA Times said.
“Absolutely not,” Giffen told the newspaper. “I’d vote for her. But I don’t think she can win.”
“And I wouldn’t vote for her in a primary.”
Since entering the White House, Harris has struggled to maintain likability among even her former supporters.
Few politicians enjoy a large majority of national support because of increased polarization. Yet Harris remains especially unpopular.
According to an NBC News poll released last week, more people hold “very negative” views of Harris than any other incumbent vice president in history.
Harris is viewed favorably by only 43 percent of voters. A staggering 49 percent viewing her unfavorably.
The British newspaper The Telegraph went so far as to label her the most unpopular vice president in history.
Her favorability ratings are lower than three of her four predecessors.
By comparison, President Joe Biden enjoyed a favorability rating 10 percent higher during his first year as vice president.
The liberal-leaning LA Times tried to excuse Harris’ unpopularity.
The newspaper said Americans are simply sexist. They claimed voters lack familiarity with Harris.
They blamed a series of gaffes, a flood of “impossible” assignments from Biden, and the expectation that she will replace the 78-year-old Biden soon.
But critics say that Harris is unpopular for reasons completely under her control.
Harris comes from the deeply Democratic state of California. When politicians come from heavily Democratic states, they often fail to connect with voters in swing states.
Harris had only served at the state level until 2016, and national politics is a different game. California’s two-time Gov. Jerry Brown is a prime example, with his multiple failed runs for president.
There’s also the perception that Harris is fading into the background, like most vice presidents.
Biden seems to be aware of this problem. The White House has been pushing the phrase “Biden-Harris administration.” Biden often brings Harris to his speeches.
He as said repeatedly that Harris is the last person in the room during big decisions, like the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. But some interviewees still couldn’t name a single one of her accomplishments.
“I can’t think anything of her because she hasn’t done anything,” said Adam Osborn, a 45-year-old Trump voter. “She’s in the shadows of the administration.”
Another interviewee, a Trump voter, described Harris as “nonexistent.” Even some Democrats are drawing a blank after being asked about Harris’s role.
“I’ll give Biden credit for the things Biden’s done,” said Popsy Robinson, a 71-year-old Biden voter, when asked about Harris’s role. “Biden’s been around a long time.”
“She’s mostly been behind the curtains,” said Dan Copes, another Democratic voter. Copes rates Harris’s performance as average, and said he hasn’t seen any positive results yet.
Biden gave Harris an impossible task when he asked her to secure the southern border. Now Copes is criticizing Harris’s performance as unfocused.
However, some Democrats still cling to hope for the vice president.
Some poll respondents don’t know much about Harris yet, they said. Some respondents could be persuaded.
“I don’t hear that much about her,” said Erica Wilins, a healthcare worker from Philadelphia. Wilkins said that she thinks more about the violence in her neighborhood than about political personalities.
“We couldn’t even sit on our steps,” she said of her old neighborhood, which she recently left.
Harris’s future looks uncertain. Her present looks grim.
And Democratic voters are more concerned about violence than re-electing her.
The Horn editorial team