Staff Reports
Mark Halperin has recently taken a hard look at Vice President Kamala Harris’s dismal polling numbers, and the news might as well have been delivered on a grim-faced telegram. The former NBC commentator and author, who has spent decades chronicling the rise and fall of presidential hopefuls, suggests that Harris is facing an uphill battle reminiscent of an epic fail at a carnival game. Dismissing her as a candidate that seems more like a science experiment gone wrong, Halperin reported that her internal polling is leaving her advisors feeling less like strategists and more like onlookers at a train wreck.
A recent poll from the New York Times had Harris scraping by with a 3% increase nationally, which sounds impressive until one considers it only puts her precariously perched on the bubble of victory—about as stable as a house of cards in a windstorm. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal delved into Harris’s struggles to connect with working-class voters in pivotal battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Michigan. This is not just a fluke; her numbers are looking worse for the Democrats than a soggy bowl of oatmeal. Reports from Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s campaign indicate Harris is trailing former President Trump by the same margin, a situation that has Halperin’s alarm bells ringing louder than a church on Sunday morning.
"I just saw some new private polling that's very robust. Private polling," says @MarkHalperin. Kamala Harris "is in a lot of trouble … In the conversations I'm having with Trump people and Democrats with data, they are extremely bullish on Trump's chances in the last 48 hours.… pic.twitter.com/KF3tSM2sLo
— 2WAY (@2waytvapp) October 9, 2024
Sean Spicer, in his typical no-nonsense fashion, likened Baldwin’s disclosure of Harris’s bleak polling to the infamous ghost of Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign. It seems Baldwin wants to ensure everyone understands just how dire the situation is. Dan Turrentine didn’t mince words either; he pointed out the downward trend lines that are sending shivers down the spines of Democrats. Harris’s numbers have plummeted faster than a lead balloon, going from leading by three to a tie, all within just a few weeks. If that’s not a flashing red light, it’s hard to imagine what is.
This isn’t even the first rumble of trouble for the Biden administration. Earlier in July, Halperin noted that Biden’s advisors were actually considering whether he should throw in the towel on his campaign after that ill-fated debate showdown with Trump—an idea not so far-fetched given Biden’s current polling woes. The cries for change are growing, and Democrats face the reality that their beloved Harris is not living up to the hype.
Halperin himself has had a rollercoaster ride through the world of political commentary, from his stormy tenure dealing with the fallout of John McCain’s 2008 campaign to a failed stint with MSNBC and Showtime. His star may have dimmed due to past scandals, but his insights into the current political climate—especially on the struggles facing Harris—provide ample fodder for a lively debate. With a six-figure salary and a history of being in the political trenches, Halperin remains a figure to watch as the Democratic party attempts to figure out which direction to head next, a bit like a ship’s captain navigating through treacherous waters.
