Poll Dance 2024: Harris Leads Biden in Trump Takedown
After a debate performance reminiscent of a bad sequel, President Biden finds himself facing mounting calls to exit the 2024 race, with polls suggesting VP Harris would fare better against Trump.
In the aftermath of his June 27 debate debacle, President Biden is now contending with a wave of suggestions that he step aside, as Democrats grapple with a political identity crisis. With only 21 percent of viewers rating his debate performance favorably, a chorus of party members and pundits is urging Biden to hand over the reins to Vice President Kamala Harris, who appears slightly more formidable against Trump in polls. The predicament has sparked a frantic scramble within the party, with many Democrats worried that staying the course with Biden might pave the way for a Trump encore in the Oval Office.
The numbers speak for themselves, and they’re not speaking kindly. A 538/Ipsos poll revealed that a mere 21 percent of debate watchers thought Biden took home the gold during the showdown.
Vice President Kamala Harris, with her slightly better polling figures against Trump, is emerging as the potential savior of the Democratic Party. According to CNN, if an election were held today, Harris would trail Trump by just two points, as opposed to Biden’s slightly more embarrassing six-point deficit. It seems the quest for a knight in shining armor could lead straight to Harris’s doorstep.
Harris’s relative popularity isn’t a fluke either. She enjoys broader support among women and independent voters, demographics crucial for any Democratic victory. This, of course, leaves Biden scrambling for any semblance of a winning strategy that doesn't involve the phrase 'Please clap.'
Elected Democrats have not been shy in their suggestions that Biden might want to consider retirement plans. Just a week ago, a particularly vocal faction of party officials expressed publicly that the keys to the White House might be safer in different hands—hands that perhaps don’t require a digital teleprompter to navigate the simplest of debates.
One CNN poll drove the point home further: 75% of voters and 56% of Democratic-aligned voters think the party would have a stronger chance of keeping the Oval Office without Biden leading the charge. It seems even the staunchest Democrats are watching election projections like a horror movie, peeking through fingers and holding their breath.
Biden's performance, or lack thereof, has incited a palpable sense of panic within the Democratic circles. The specter of a second Trump term looms large, and whispers about new leadership are growing louder by the day. One can almost hear the frantic flipping of Rolodexes in search of anyone who might turn things around.
The grim reality is that Trump currently holds a six-point lead over Biden and a two-point lead over Harris among registered voters nationwide. While Harris’s gap is smaller, this minor difference in the high-stakes world of political strategies can still tip the scales. As they say, even a tiny crack can sink a mighty ship.
The Democratic Party now finds itself at a crossroads, with many members fretting over whether to stick with Biden through thick and (seemingly mostly) thin, or rally behind a fresher face who might have a better chance at staving off a Trump resurgence. The urgency to act decisively is mounting, and implore they must if they want to keep Trump’s shadow from darkening their doorstep once more.