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New York Times podcast says Harris’ honeymoon phase is over, ‘wave of euphoria’ has subsided after new survey

New York Times podcast says Harris’ honeymoon phase is over, ‘wave of euphoria’ has subsided after new survey

A New York Times podcast acknowledged what many Kamala Harris supporters have feared since she first declared her candidacy: initial enthusiasm triggered by her late entry into the presidential race has seemingly disappeared.

The episode of “The Daily,” titled “The Harris Honeymoon is Over,” reviewed the latest New York Times/Siena investigation showing former President Trump leading Harris by one percentage point among likely voters nationwide.

The survey results send a gloomy message about state Harris campaignaccording to New York Times chief political analyst Nate Cohn, who joined the podcast to break down the results.

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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the White House. (AP/Julia Nikhinson)

“There’s a chance that this poll is telling us that the honeymoon period is over, so to speak, that the momentum is no longer carrying her forward and that Trump has instead risen.” “The Daily” said host Sabrina Tavernise.

“That’s right,” agreed Cohn. “It would suggest that she has come back down to earth a bit now that there is not this wave of euphoria that greeted her first candidacy.”

Cohn said the latest poll indicates a desire by the public to learn more about Harris and her policies. Harris continues to avoid formal press briefings and avoids regular engagement with the press.

“The survey suggests some early signs that now that that euphoria has worn off, the public is still hungry for a little more about Kamala Harris, and she hasn’t delivered it yet and that’s hurting her a little bit among some critical constituencies…” said Cohn.

He explained that among the “traditional Democratic constituencies,” which include young, black and Latino voters, Harris has left them wanting more.

“In each of these cases, our survey finds that a truly disproportionate share of these voters say they don’t feel they’ve yet learned enough about Kamala Harris. That there’s still a lot more they need to learn before they’re comfortable with her.

He added that while the poll doesn’t necessarily indicate an “extraordinarily deep problem” for the Harris campaign, it “shows that she hasn’t made the sale yet” among those key voting blocs.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

Tavernise noted that while Harris has gained support from some Democratic voters disaffected with Joe Biden, it does not appear to be enough “to offset Trump’s growing strength with the white working class and with older voters, at least so far.”

Cohn said Harris’ lackluster poll performance is likely because she has yet to convince voters that she will be an effective change agent.

“Overall what voters say they want is change…big change from Joe Biden. A majority of voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction…this is a disaffected electorate and right now they’re not convinced that Kamala Harris offers the solution to the problems that concern them.

“So,” he added, “at this time when Americans are disaffected and looking for something different, Donald Trump seems to have a really big advantage over Kamala Harris by representing a big departure from the status quo.”

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Tavernise said the Harris campaign would be wise to distance itself as much as possible from Biden. But Cohn said the poll suggests some voters not only think Harris may be too similar to Biden, but also blame her for some of “what they think is wrong with the country today.”

Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Kamala Harris is embraced by US President Joe Biden during a campaign event at IBEW Local Union #5 on September 2, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ((Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images))

But Republicans shouldn’t get too comfortable. Cohn said the young, black and Latino constituencies are typically less politically engaged than other demographics and that “it’s entirely plausible that once these voters tune in — and many will over time, they will find that they like a lot of what Kamala Harris has to say.”

“What’s interesting about this is the fact that some key voters say they don’t know much about her, but it’s not like she hasn’t made policy positions… but what this poll suggests is that really doesn’t resonate with people,” Tavernise said.

The Times/Siena poll released Sunday found that Trump received support from 48% of likely voters, compared to 47% who indicated support for Harris. The poll comes after weeks of increased enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket after Harris took over for Biden, although the New York Times said it appears Trump’s support is “remarkably resilient” to the stunning changes in the electoral landscape.

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The poll found that Harris has yet to sell voters on her vision for the country, with 28% of respondents saying they felt they needed to know more about her in order for her to gain their support. However, only 9% indicated similar concerns about Trump.

But the poll’s news wasn’t all bad for Harris, finding that 91% of Democrats were enthusiastic about voting, while 85% of Republicans indicated the same.

Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report.

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