Joe Biden’s choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate has brought with it a whirlwind of speculation and criticism, but the latest polling from Reuters has demonstrated a surprising, and possibly embarrassing, reality for the former VP.
The poll, which came hot on the heels of Biden’s announcement, seemed to show that Harris’ presence on the ticket would give the often-bumbling former veep a boost among Democrats and women.
Nearly nine out of 10 Democrats approve of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as their party’s vice presidential nominee, and she is more popular than presidential candidate Joe Biden among women, young voters and some Republicans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.
The Aug. 11-12 public opinion survey also found that 60% of Americans, including 87% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans, considered the selection of Harris – the first Black woman and Asian American nominated for vice presidency – to be a “major milestone” for the United States.
The U.S. Senator from California is viewed about as favorably or better than Biden in most major demographic groups, the poll showed, highlighting her potential to help the former vice president expand his support in November’s election.
But here is where it gets wonky:
In addition, about 25% of Republicans said they had a favorable view of Harris and approve of her choice as Biden’s running mate. Only about 20% of Republicans said they have a similarly favorable view of Biden.
Given Biden’s recent behavior on the campaign trail, this may be the least embarrassing thing about his candidacy thus far…but that’s not saying much.
