WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden continues to face pressure to step aside as the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris is balancing her willingness to step up for him and defend him against party donors and operatives, including those who have begun investing in supporting Harris. whatever position he ends up in on the ticket.
The effort to advertise and devote resources to gathering polling data on public perceptions of Harris comes as many Democrats begin to coalesce around the idea that Biden will not pass if he opts out, and Republicans have stepped up their attacks on Biden since his dismal debate. .
While Harris has made clear his commitment to Biden, his support within the party has grown in the past two weeks, particularly as research by some Democratic groups finds he may be particularly good at mobilizing young, black and Latino voters.
“All of his political supporters are talking about the possibility that he might run for president,” said Jamal Simmons, who spent a year as Harris’ communications director. “I’m sure it’s awkward that so many people are talking about him replacing the president on the ticket when he’s still in the White House, working with the president’s team every day and meeting with him every day.”
Simmons added that he’s not surprised that Harris is so loyal to Biden because when he served in the White House, Harris consistently made it clear in his actions and words that he saw his role as Biden’s partner.
“He’s doing his job of helping hold the party together and being a strong partner,” Simmons said. “In the last few weeks, a lot of people who wouldn’t have previously described themselves as fans have come over to her because of how strong she is and how the process of getting a new person nominated and starting a campaign has turned out. You as the best possible alternative to Kamala Harris. The more people do the math, the quicker it falls on Kamala Harris.”
That math has led groups like Win to Win, a national strategy center for donors to Democratic causes, to invest money over the past two weeks to learn how voters perceive Harris and how they can best support Biden regardless of what he ultimately decides. move forward.
As part of that effort, Way to Win President Tory Gavito said they funded two polls over the past two weeks that looked at how Democratic and independent voters in battleground states viewed Biden and Harris after the debate and whether voters were more likely to vote Republican. saw the candidates after the debate. As part of the push, Gavito said, the group is gathering data on which groups view Harris favorably, as well as what message about him resonates with voters.
“It’s not lost on anyone that Biden had a very tough time after the debate, and during that Kamala really showed that she can make the case against Trump and MAGA,” Gavito said. “We can’t stop, which means we have to play to our full potential with the ticket we have.”
Way to Win has not taken a position on whether Biden will drop out of the race. But Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, the group’s co-founder, wrote on social media that Democrats may be open to changes to the ticket. “This should not be a war. It can be discussed!” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Being able to hold a democratic discussion is part of what distinguishes us from our opposition.”
Way to Win found that both Biden and Harris polled similarly among Democrats and independents, and did more among independent voters. But the group found that Harris had a “significant boost” from the “younger voter segments that Biden struggled with” and performed well with voters of color and women. They also cited Harris’ decision two years earlier in Roe v. Wade’s repeal resonated strongly with Democrats and independents, seen as the administration’s most prominent advocate for access to abortion care.
This is a displacement Perceptions of HarrisWhich was early in Biden’s presidency It is seen as a drag by some in the Democratic party, not an asst. Some critics within the party claim this struggled Gaining political traction among the American electorate. Republicans often are long before the debate focused attacks It’s been on him for years, hoping to antagonize Biden by painting him as a liberal force moving away from the center.
Gavito also said groups like his are well aware that Republicans are paying more attention to Harris.
On Friday, the Trump campaign released an email titled “Crooked Biden Recap: Harris Biden 2.0” attacking Harris with claims he was a “liar” and “anti-worker.” Earlier this week, the Trump campaign released an online ad called “The Big Kamala Cover Up,” featuring Harris speaking positively about Biden’s ability to serve as president, with the first few lines saying, “Kamala lied to us about Biden for years.” seconds.
The Republican National Committee also followed Harris, including this week on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Democrat policies have destroyed America. It doesn’t matter which unpopular candidate they choose.”
Gavito said such efforts show Democrats need to work on messaging aimed at defending Harris. “It’s important for the KHive to activate and grow,” he said, referring to the term used to describe Harris’ online supporters. “The social media environment unfortunately thrives on fights, and so if Kamala doesn’t have an active base that can stand up to the misogyny of the right, then these stories start to stick.”
Pamela Shifman, president of the Democracy Alliance, a major liberal donor network, echoed that sentiment. “We will always continue to elevate the leadership of our Vice President, Kamala Harris,” he said. “Next week, the Republicans’ racist and sexist attacks on our vice president will increase, and it’s all our job to help push back.”
Harris has been traveling the country speaking to Democratic donors, elected officials, civil rights leaders, party activists and voters to advocate for Biden as the party’s nominee.
Since the June debates, his office said he has visited six states (including Nevada twice) and conducted four national interviews, urging people to judge Biden on his overall performance as president over the past three years and where he has attacked Trump. threat to democracy.
On Saturday, Harris will visit his seventh state since the debate when he delivers the keynote address at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Voices President’s Town Hall in Philadelphia.
A source familiar with the vice president’s plans said his trips are purposefully designed to get in front of the Black, Latino and Asian and Pacific Islander communities to drum up support among Democrats.
“Over the past week, the vice president has spoken with elected officials from across the country, thanking them for their support of the president and the ticket and reiterating the importance of keeping Democrats focused and united on our mission to defeat Donald Trump again. November,” an aide to Harris’ office said in a statement.
His efforts have long been held up by Democrats as an example of how the party should weather the uncertainty that plagues Biden as he tries to recover from the damage of the debates.
Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who supports Biden at the top of the ticket, said Harris’ toeing the line for president shows her strength of character.
“He’s trying to be very careful because he doesn’t want to give the impression that he’s trying to undermine him,” Wilson said of Harris and Biden. “It shows you the character of a black woman. We are used to doing this because we carry the nation on our shoulders. We carry all. And he does. And he will continue to do so. And that’s why I love him.”