Page 2 - aruba-today-20240801

A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 1 augusT 2024
About 8 in 10 Democrats are satisfied with Harris in stark shift after

Biden drops out: AP-NORC poll

“I have just been so terri- said they were satisfied with about 6 in 10 when asked fectively against Trump.
Continued from Front fied that we were going to Biden in July. about electing a person of “When I watched the de-
lose.” Bryan Seigler, a Democrat color and about half when bate, you could just tell his
In a separate AP-NORC With Harris, on the other from Raleigh, North Caro- asked about electing a cognitive ability was hardly
poll, taken before Biden hand, “she’s been a bright, lina, praised Harris’ “broad woman — say it does not there,” said Julian Castañe-
dropped out but after his shining star,” said Schul- appeal” and pointed to a matter. da, a Democrat in Pocatel-
debate against Republi- lo, Idaho. “He had a hard
can former President Don- time forming sentences
ald Trump, only about 4 and a lot of his responses,
in 10 Democrats said they I couldn’t even understand
were somewhat or very what he was saying. At his
satisfied that he was the age right now, it was ap-
Democratic Party’s likely propriate for him to stand
nominee for president. aside.”
The rapidly changing views Biden’s choice to endorse
among Democrats in such Harris as the Democratic
a short time span under- nominee for president is
score how swiftly the party slightly more divisive, with
— from rank-and-file voters about half of U.S. adults in
to elected officials — has support, though Democrats
coalesced behind Harris as overwhelmingly approve.
its standard-bearer, moti- There are similar levels of
vated by the fresh face at support for Biden’s decision
the top of the ticket and to serve out the rest of his
newfound confidence presidential term.
in the party’s prospects Withdrawing from the race
against Trump in Novem- didn’t do much to change
ber. Americans’ views of Bi-
Gary Hines, a Democrat den overall. About 4 in 10
from Philadelphia, said Americans approve of how
he wasn’t particularly im- Biden is handling his job as
pressed by Harris’ first presi- president. That number is
dential bid but now, she’s roughly in line with where
shown “she’s up to the it has been for the last two
task, can do the work, has Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the American Federation of Teachers' 88th national years. Biden’s favorabil-
proven that she’s running convention, July 25, 2024, in Houston. ity ratings are similar to
a strong campaign so far Associated Press where they were before he
and maybe on a bigger dropped out of the race,
level, she’s somebody that with about 4 in 10 adults
can beat Donald Trump.” and about three-quarters
All those factors have ignit- man, 66, noting that the contrast that Democrats Majorities of Democrats, of Democrats holding a
ed an enthusiasm in Hines vice president is “smart weren’t able to make be- however, say it would be positive view.
that wasn’t there when Bi- and she’s younger, and fore. good for the country to Americans see a tough
den was still in the race, he she even comes off young- “Donald Trump is the old elect a woman or person election contest for Harris
said. er than she is. That makes guy now,” said Seigler, 36. of color. Even as the new Harris
“I really want to go out and such a huge contrast with The new poll shows that Views of Biden’s decision campaign has reasons for
maybe knock on doors, Trump.” Harris’ overall favorability Most Americans, 54%, say optimism, the vice presi-
which I would’ve never Growing enthusiasm for has risen slightly, from 39% they have heard or read a dent faces an opponent
done,” said Hines, 68. “It’s Harris — especially com- at the beginning of the lot about Biden’s decision who is better known by the
jazzed me up quite a bit.” pared to Biden summer — before the de- to withdraw from the 2024 country and who has a rep-
Americans are also more About 7 in 10 Black adults bate — to 46% now. Dem- presidential race. About utation for a loyal base of
likely to say that Harris and about half of His- ocrats’ opinions of Harris three-quarters of Ameri- support.
would make a good presi- panic adults would be have also shifted in a slight- cans approve of his de- Most Americans perceive
dent than they were ear- satisfied with Harris as the ly more positive direction. cision to withdraw as the Trump as having the ad-
lier in July, a shift that was Democratic nominee — a Eight in 10 Democrats have Democratic nominee for vantage going into the
primarily driven by Demo- marked increase from ear- a positive view of Harris, up president, including most November election. A ma-
crats. They still see a tough lier in July, when about half slightly from around 7 in 10 Democrats and Republi- jority of U.S. adults say that
contest looming, though: A of Black adults and 15% of in early June. cans. if Trump and Harris are the
majority of U.S. adults, 56%, Hispanic adults felt satisfied Harris would be a historic For many Democrats, Bi- candidates, Trump is more
say that if Trump and Harris with Biden as the Demo- candidate — she would den’s catastrophic June likely to win. About 9 in 10
are their parties’ nominees crats’ expected nominee. be the first woman to win 27 debate showed that — Republicans say Trump
for the general election in (The poll did not include the presidency, as well as even if they were largely is more likely to become
November, Trump is more enough Asian adults to an- the first Black woman, the satisfied with his accom- president, while only about
likely to win. alyze their responses sepa- first South Asian American, plishments during his time 7 in 10 Democrats say that
Lauren Schulman, a Demo- rately.) and the first Asian Ameri- in office — the incumbent about Harris.
crat from Pompano Beach, The share of younger adults can. Around 4 in 10 Ameri- president should not be run- Schulman thinks Harris is
Florida, said she admires (those under the age of cans say that it would be a ning for a second term be- more likely to win this fall.
Biden and what he has ac- 45) who say they would be good thing for the country cause of concerns about Still, she added: “Demo-
complished during his presi- satisfied with Harris as the to elect either a woman how his age was affecting crats, we’re like a real,
dency. But she said with nominee, at around 4 in 10, or a person of color to be his public performance or nervous, paranoid bunch
him at the top of the ticket, is higher than the 17% who president. Even more — his ability to campaign ef- these days.”q