By JOSH BOAK
WASHINGTON (AP) — If the presidential election hinged on abortion or climate change, Kamala Harris might be feeling pretty comfortable about her chances on Nov. 5, based on the polls. The Democratic nominee is also competitive on economic issues against Republican Donald Trump.
But Harris knows this is an extremely tight race — and that it could well serve as a test of just how much policy matters to voters, and which policies ultimately matter the most.
The vice president leads Trump on abortion, election integrity, climate change, taxes for the middle class and management of natural disasters, according to the latest survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs.
She’s essentially split with Trump on several specific economic issues such as jobs and the cost of groceries and gasoline. The two are basically even as well on crime and the situation in the Middle East. Trump has a slight advantage over Harris on tariffs, and a bigger edge on immigration.
This combination of photos taken Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaking during a town hall in Malvern, Pa., left, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump delivering remarks on Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo)
Despite Harris’ advantage on a number of issues, her campaign still has plenty of anxiety about a historically close race. It’s a sign that policy can matter — but it doesn’t always outshine issues like personality, partisan loyalty or even demographic factors that shape voters’ identities.
The latest polling marks something of a shift from 2020, when the pandemic was the top priority for many voters. But it also shows that Trump can no longer claim the economy as a relative strength for his candidacy, as it was when President Joe Biden was still in the race. How voters think about the economy could prove decisive; a September AP-NORC poll identified that as the top issue for many voters.
The Harris campaign, in its own polling, finds that the Democratic nominee is competitive against Trump on the economy, and sees that as a reflection of how she’s emphasized the middle class in her speeches and advertising.
“She outperforms Trump very significantly on understanding the needs of middle class and working families,” said Molly Murphy, a Harris campaign pollster. “Voters tend to trust that if you talk about something relentlessly that you care about it.”
Xiaowen Xu, a psychologist at the College of William & Mary, stressed that there are many factors at play when understanding people’s political leanings.
“Some will place more emphasis on policy, whereas others just have it as a ‘check box’ so to speak,” Xu said. “And factors like personality differences, political identity, strength of political leaning, media consumption … all can contribute to how policy-related info is digested.”
Related Articles
National Politics |
Majority of border methamphetamine seizures occur in California, while fentanyl moves east
National Politics |
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
