Poll: Harris, Trump Deadlocked as Debate Nears
According to a national survey by the New York Times and Siena College, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are polling 'neck and neck' less than two months before election day....
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Facts
- According to a national survey by the New York Times and Siena College, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are polling 'neck and neck' less than two months before election day.[1][2]
- A day before Harris' first televised debate against Trump in Pittsburg, Pa., the poll, which ran from Sept. 3-6, shows Trump leading Harris by one point, 48%-47% — well within the survey's three percentage point margin of error.[2]
- The survey further showed that 28% of prospective voters said they still need to learn more about Harris before voting for her, compared to 9% who said the same for Trump.[3][4]
- On specific issues, voters trusted Harris more than Trump on abortion (54%-49%) and democracy (50%-45%), but trailed him on the economy (42%-55%) and immigration (43%-53%).[5]
- Additionally, a Sunday CBS/YouGov survey showed a close race in battleground states. Harris maintained a narrow lead in Michigan (50%-49%) and Wisconsin (51%-49%), but was deadlocked in Pennsylvania.[1]
Sources: [1]Guardian, [2]Independent, [3]Reuters, [4]FOX News and [5]New York Post.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall and Federalist. The most obvious reason for this poll is that Harris' post-nomination honeymoon phase is over and the public is beginning to see her flaws as a candidate. As she braces for her first debate, she won't only deal with the fact that Trump is better than her on immigration and the economy, but that Trump is statistically likely to beat her on Election Day should he remain within a point or two in the polls.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times. Harris, as vice presidents have historically done in the past, has been forced to take heat for her boss' challenges but receive little credit for his successes. Harris has an opportunity to show that she's her own candidate with new and popular ideas. The American people no longer care about 'Vice President Harris' — they're eager to hear how 'President Harris' would uplift the country after defeating the bitterly divisive and dangerous Trump campaign.
