President Joe Biden’s “work wife” has become his real ball and chain.
Far from being the helpful partner she is portrayed as, Vice President Kamala Harris is viewed by voters as either unhelpful or a drag on the embattled president, who is working to fend off calls to step aside because polls show him losing to former President Donald Trump. Instead of bolstering his chances, Harris seems to be an anchor weighing down an already struggling administration.
According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, Harris’s unpopularity is evident. She is viewed as “very unfavorable” by 43% of likely voters, while just 21% see her as “very favorable.” This stark contrast shows the significant uphill battle she faces in gaining public trust and support.
Moreover, most voters, 43%, believe she doesn’t impact their 2024 vote, while 29% say she hurts Biden’s chances versus a mere 25% who believe she helps. This indicates a general sense of indifference or negativity towards her role in the administration. The data highlights that Harris is not the asset the Biden campaign might have hoped for.
Further emphasizing her poor performance, 49% of respondents think she is doing a “worse job than most recent vice presidents,” compared to just 19% who think she is doing “better.” Rasmussen aptly titled its analysis “Kamala Harris: Voters Still Don’t Like VP Very Much,” underscoring the public’s persistent disfavor towards her.
Harris has faced criticism ever since she entered the 2020 presidential race. She lost traction from the start, was sharply critical of Biden, and bowed out before 2020 began, even before the first primary vote was cast. Her tenure as vice president has been marred by failures in each of her assignments, most notably as Biden’s “border czar.” More recently, she has been tasked with communicating abortion-rights policy to Democratic women and reaching out to black voters, but these efforts have done little to improve her standing with the public.
In summary, Kamala Harris’s presence on the ticket seems to do more harm than good for Biden, reflecting a broader issue within the administration. The vice president’s continued unpopularity suggests that the Biden-Harris team might need to rethink their strategy if they hope to turn the tide in their favor before the next election.
