As we head into the final sprint of what has already been a truncated election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, here is what we do know: Harris has been able to reset the contest in large part because unlike Trump or President Joe Biden, she is not burdened by already hardened opinions about who she is and what she can or would do as president.
The Sept. 10 debate will be another “reset” for the 2024 campaign. For the first time ever, voters will be able to size up the candidates side-by-side. There’s little chance that voters’ opinions of Trump will change. Instead, the big question is whether it impacts the way voters perceive Harris.
Given how critical this debate is to the trajectory of the election, it’s important to set benchmarks for where things stood before Sept. 10, and where they are post-debate.
Here’s where things start:
Opinions of Harris have improved.Just before Biden dropped out of the race, the 538 average showed Harris’ favorability ratings at 37%, with 53% viewing her unfavorably (-16).
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