President Joe Biden, at the age of 80, is visibly displaying signs of aging, which has raised concerns among an increasing number of Democratic voters as he seeks reelection.
The primary concern revolves around the potential scenario of his incapacitation or passing away while in office, which would result in Vice President Kamala Harris assuming the presidency. This prospect is met with resistance from a majority of Americans in both political parties.
A recent survey reveals that Harris’s unpopularity is now perceived as detrimental to Biden’s chances of reelection.
According to the Washington Examiner:
A new survey from Rasmussen Reports showed that the vice president’s unfavorable showing underscores the reason why some Democrats and liberal media outlets are advocating for Biden to replace her on the reelection ticket.
As per the survey shared with the public, 50% of respondents believe she is performing worse than most previous vice presidents, 22% said “better,” and 24% saw no difference.
This contrast may significantly impact Biden’s potential for reelection.
Rasmussen conducted the survey to assess whether Harris’s influence is beneficial or harmful to Biden’s prospects. The results indicate that, by a margin of 33% to 22%, voters perceive her impact as more negative than positive. Importantly, and potentially more damaging to her image, 41% of respondents expressed the view that Harris had no noticeable impact at all.
In a recent op-ed, political columnist George Skelton of the Los Angeles Times suggested that Biden should replace Harris to allow her to take Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat in California.
Skelton wrote, “Biden’s problem is Harris. She’s a burden — a drag on his reelection prospects.”
John Zogby, a Democratic pollster, also proposed this idea in a podcast.
However, Biden appears to have no intentions of replacing Harris. In a recent memo, he expressed that selecting Harris as his running mate was one of the best decisions he made and that she remains the perfect choice.
A change in roles might potentially shift the way Harris is perceived by voters. Rasmussen’s data indicates that Harris’s favorability ratings are in the negative: According to the survey, 42% view the vice president favorably, while 53% view her unfavorably.
Rasmussen summarized the situation regarding Harris: “Most voters continue to have a low opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris, and don’t see her as a helpful running mate for President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign.”
Harris’s unpopularity has reached a point where her approval rating is lower than former Vice President Dick Cheney’s approval rating after he accidentally shot a man in the face with a shotgun.
A recent poll conducted last month found that nearly half of all voters have a negative view of Harris, with only 32% approving of her performance in office.
“Mike Pence managed to survive the entire coronavirus crisis without hitting Harris’s net negative 17 approval rating. Despite Democrats getting clobbered in the 2010 midterm elections, then-Vice President Joe Biden (barely) broke even in the NBC poll, with a plus 1% approval rating,” the Washington Examiner reported separately.
“Even amid the war, shooting his friend in the face, and the White House’s lackluster response to the Great Recession, Cheney managed to outperform Harris, who is presiding over a peacetime country with a still-bustling economy,” the report added.
