OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A new survey found that the two most popular Democrats ahead of the 2024 presidential election should Joe Biden decide not to run are both women.
The Washington Times reports:
A recent poll found Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama are the leading Democratic candidates for 2024 if President Biden opts out of running for reelection.
The Hill-HarrisX poll had Ms. Harris leading a handful of Democratic candidates with 13% of support, followed by Mrs. Obama who had 10%.
Other candidates listed in the poll include several Democrats who previously ran for president in 2020.
Candidates who received 5 percent or less include Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Cory Booker, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and businessman Andrew Yang, according to the survey.
In addition, 36 percent of respondents said they were not sure who they preferred, while 13 percent said they are looking to another candidate that is not listed in the poll.
The survey results don’t seem to reflect the reality of Harris’ overall unpopularity, however.
In late October, a project run by The Los Angeles Times which tracks opinion polls from around the country showed that she is less popular than President Biden and many of her own predecessors.
“As of Oct. 26, 42% of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Harris and 51% had an unfavorable opinion — a net rating of -9 percentage points, according to a Times average,” The Times reported.
The paper added:
Since taking office, Harris has been assigned one of the administration’s thorniest issues: stemming the influx of immigrants attempting to cross U.S. borders. Republicans have sought to make her the face of an issue that they believe could help them politically.
After taking on that role, Harris’ approval ratings began to decline, with unfavorable opinions surpassing favorable ones in June. Whether the decline is directly related to the immigration debate is uncertain, however, as the dip in her approval also corresponds to a small decline in President Biden’s job approval.
The dip followed an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, where Harris bristled at a question about why she had not visited the border, triggering criticism. Comments about immigration and the United States’ southern border during visits to Mexico and Guatemala have also sparked controversy.
That dismal survey preceded one that was even worse — both for Biden and Harris.
A shocking new survey released by USA Today earlier this month finds that support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has completely cratered.
“A year before the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans hold a clear lead on the congressional ballot as President Joe Biden’s approval rating sinks to a new low of 38%,” the paper reported, adding that Harris’ approval rating is worse: Just 28%.
USA Features Media adds:
The paper claimed that with Friday’s passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and a better-than-expected jobs report for October, that Biden and Harris, as well as Democrats in general, are “poised” to recover.
But the survey is also likely reflective of the fact that Americans are paying more for virtually everything, the southern border is a mess, there is an ongoing supply chain crisis, and left-wing agendas are permeating public schools.
Also, last week’s elections saw historic gains for Republicans in traditionally blue states like New Jersey, Virginia, and New York.
“Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 64%, say they don’t want Biden to run for a second term in 2024. That includes 28% of Democrats. Opposition to Trump running for another term in 2024 stands at 58%, including 24% of Republicans,” the paper added.
“Vice President Kamala Harris’ approval rating is 28% – even worse than Biden’s. The poll shows that 51% disapprove of the job she’s doing. One in 5, 21%, are undecided,” the paper continued.
