Similarly, when asked if they agreed or disagreed with this statement — “In terms of policy, Kamala Harris is no different than Joe Biden” — a whopping 66 percent agreed, while only 27 percent disagreed.
On both questions, majorities across every political demographic — liberal, moderate, and conservative — agreed. Similarly, the contested states’ numbers looked very similar to the national results, which would suggest the slate of polls coming out at the national level showing former President Donald Trump — the Republican presidential nominee in 2024 — leading Harris is not a good sign for the Democrats.
Several other takeaways in the Senate Opportunity Fund polling are terrible for Democrats. First off, the list of issues respondents said were the most important — they were asked to choose their top three issues — ranks out the top five issues voters see in the 2024 election as inflation, the economy & jobs, immigration, national security, and crime & drugs. Abortion does not come in until the sixth highest issue, and “democracy” is seventh. Guns, climate change, and social justice issues round out the issue set — but this list of issues likely voters ranked as their highest priorities plays heavily to the GOP ticket of Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH).
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is introduced during the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At right is Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH). (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Harris’s approval rating is also underwater to begin the campaign, with 51 percent saying they view her unfavorably — 39 percent very unfavorably and 11 percent somewhat unfavorably. Only 43 percent view her favorably. Then, when asked whether Biden’s decision to drop out of the race was a “political decision” or a “patriotic decision,” 53 percent — another majority — said Biden’s move was political, and only 38 percent said it was “patriotic.”
Then, when asked whether Democrats should coronate Harris, as they are currently doing, or have an “open process” for the nomination, more said they think it should be an open process. Only 41 percent said it should be Harris, while 48 percent said it should be an “open process.” Liberal-leaning voters, by a more-than-two-to-one margin, said it should be Harris with no open process, 68 percent to 28 percent, but moderate voters split evenly down the middle at 45 percent on this question. In contested states, too, it actually swings a net two percent more against Harris, with 49 percent saying they want an open process and 40 percent saying it should be Harris.
Furthermore, another slide shows that, just over the past few days, Harris’s favorability rating has cratered as Republicans have begun exposing her record to the American public. When the survey started on July 19, she had a net 47 percent favorable rating with a net 50 percent unfavorable rating, but, just a few days later, on July 23, that had dropped a net seven percent to 53 percent net unfavorable and 43 percent net favorable. A seven-point swing against any politician in a matter of three days is astounding. More polling from other outfits will probably bear out similar swings, though, a sign that, despite establishment media and Democrats glowing over Harris’s coronation, things do not seem to be going well for her at all.
WATCH: Female Wisconsin Trump Supporters Think Harris Is An Idiot
Additionally, the top five words respondents used to describe Harris were all negative, except one. The top two were “unqualified,” at 42 percent, and “unprepared,” at 38 percent. The third one — “qualified” — came in at just 31 percent, but the next two, “weak,” at 31 percent, and “liberal,” at 30 percent, were also negative.
Then, when asked which issue people most associate with Harris, respondents said far and away the border and immigration. The border and immigration was the only issue respondents associated with Harris more than 20 percent, way up at 26 percent, whereas “president of the Senate” came in second at 17 percent and “crime/police funding” came in third at 15 percent. No other issue broke double digits.
Then, respondents were asked if Republicans were unified going into the 2024 election, and 74 percent said they were, while just 17 percent disagreed. When asked the same question about Democrats, only 51 percent agreed that Democrats were unified, while 35 percent disagreed and thought Democrats were divided.
Finally, when asked head-to-head between Trump and Harris who better unifies the country, more — 44 percent — said Trump than Harris, 43 percent. In swing states, Trump’s number grew to 47 percent, and Harris’s shrunk to just 44 percent.