Vice President Kamala Harris may be leading former President Donald Trump in national polls, but at this point in the race, she still isn't as strong a candidate as her 2020 and 2016 Democratic opponents, political strategists say.

Harris is currently leading former President Donald Trump in several national polls. Five Thirty Eight And with a 1.4 point lead Real Clear PollingBut Harris has fared less well in national polls and key demographics than President Joe Biden and former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that her “vibe”-focused campaign could be problematic. (Related article: Harris's close relationship doesn't boost her approval rating even after the convention)

“Vibes is for people who can afford it,” Maryland-based Democratic strategist Len Foxwell told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “People who are struggling to make ends meet and whose take-home pay is less than they can afford to live don't care about Vibes. What they want to hear is a plan to improve their living situation.”

“She's still unknown in most parts of the country,” John McHenry, a Republican polling analyst and vice president of North Star Opinion Research, told DCNF. “They had a staged convention, but she hadn't campaigned until last month, so people are still trying to understand who she is and what she stands for.”

“Most people think the economy is heading in the wrong direction and are worried about jobs, crime, open borders and national security,” John McLaughlin, a Trump campaign pollster and CEO of McLaughlin & Associates, told DCNF. “She's trying to run a feel-good campaign, but voters are not feeling good. She's part of the problem, not the solution.” (Related: Kamala Harris concludes DNC without releasing policy platform)

As of Sept. 8, 2020, Biden was leading Trump by more than 7.5 percentage points with 50.6%, while the then-President was trailing with 43%. According to He was sporting a similar 7.1 point lead at this point in the race in RealClearPolling. average A poll conducted the same day showed his approval rating at 49.9%, to Trump's 42.8%.

Biden was well ahead of Trump in the polls, but the incumbent won by just 4.4 percentage points, receiving 51.3% of the vote compared to the incumbent's 46.9%. According to To CNN.

At this point, Clinton was leading by 3.2 points, with 42.1% support, while Trump was trailing at 38.9%. According to A FiveThirtyEight national poll on September 8, 2016, had her leading Trump by 2.8 percentage points, and a RealClearPolling average from the same day had her leading Trump by 2.8 percentage points. (Related: Trump has chipped away at key Democratic voters for years. Can Harris make up for lost time?)

“Donald Trump has historically been one of the lowest polling figures in the history of American politics,” Foxwell told DCNF. “There is a significant number of Trump supporters who are reluctant to communicate their voting preferences to complete strangers over the phone. The fact that we have the first woman of color running for president adds to the unpredictability. I am very concerned that we may see an application of what's known as the Bradley effect, where people tell a pollster what they think is a socially acceptable answer — that they support Kamala Harris — and then, in the privacy of their own polling place, do the exact opposite.”

“She may be new, she's not 80, but she has all the weaknesses that Biden had,” McHenry told DCNF. “She's part of the administration.” (Related: Kamala Harris has no campaign promises, weeks after becoming presumptive nominee

At this point in the last election cycle, Biden had the support of 82% of black voters, while Trump had just 4%. According to According to a September 2020 Suffolk University/USA Today poll, Biden also outperformed Trump among Hispanics, with 56% approving of the incumbent president and just 24% approving of the incumbent.

Clinton boasts a similar polling lead to Biden, garnering 92% support among black voters while Trump garnered just 4%. According to According to a September 2016 Suffolk University/USA Today poll, Clinton also had a larger lead than Harris among Hispanic voters, with Clinton receiving 65% support among them, compared to Trump's 24%. (Related article: Trump harshly criticizes voters' main concerns in Republican National Convention speech, Harris barely mentions them)

But this time around, Trump is beginning to close the gap among those key demographics: He has the support of 12% of black voters and 37% of Hispanic voters, compared with 76% and 53% for Harris, respectively. According to That's according to a Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Thursday.

“Trump has campaigned aggressively over the past three years to garner support from African-Americans, Hispanics, young voters and independents,” McLaughlin told DCNF. “Now it's paid off and she's having a hard time winning them back.”

“Policy is more important than tone,” Foxwell told DCNF, “and we need to move to a more substantive discussion of how she will respond on the economy, the crisis at the southern border and other issues of great concern to the American people.”

Trump's chances of winning the Electoral College are currently projected to be 60.1%, his highest since July 30, according to Nate Silver's projections, while Harris is trailing at 39.7%. forecast Her chances are even worse in battleground states, with Trump projected to win in Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada, and to tie with Harris in Michigan and Wisconsin.

“While the excitement at the convention is debatable, Harris has been getting mediocre approval ratings in many states recently,” Silver said. Written In post X.

McHenry said Tuesday's scheduled presidential debate will be a defining moment for Harris' polling and campaign.

“Sitting down on CNN and being interviewed with your running mate is not a particularly stressful situation,” McHenry told DCNF, “but having Donald Trump at another podium and questioning everything she says is going to be a stressful situation, and judging by what's happened so far, it doesn't seem like she's going to handle it particularly well. She just switches into word-list mode.”

“If she has a good debate, maybe that gap will narrow compared to what it was with Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden four years ago,” McHenry continued. “If she has a bad debate, which is certainly a possibility, that gap may become fixed.”

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