ALMOST half of Americans say Kamala Harris was an ineffective Vice President, while many believe that the role of VP should be removed entirely, an exclusive poll from The U.S. Sun has revealed.
Harris has attempted to walk the line between pushing her record as Joe Biden’s VP for the past four years while still claiming that she represents a break with the past.
In her Fox News interview last month, Harris said her presidency wouldn’t be a “continuation” of Biden’s.
During the sometimes-fiery program, Harris told anchor Bret Baier, “Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency, and like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh new ideas.”
Yet The U.S. Sun’s poll shows voters’ negative views of her performance as VP still remain.
Of respondents, 9% said Harris has been “Somewhat ineffective” as the Vice President, while a third (33%) said she had been “Very ineffective.”
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Just over a quarter (26%) of respondents for the survey, conducted for The U.S. Sun by Talker research, said she had been “Very effective” as Joe Biden’s Vice President while 22% of respondents said she had been “somewhat effective.”
Our poll also asked Americans to what extent they agreed that “The role of Vice President should be removed entirely.”
Ten percent of respondents said they “Strongly agree” with the statement, while 10% said they “Somewhat agree.”
The poll comes as Americans go to the polls in November’s presidential election on Tuesday.
Harris became the Democrat’s candidate in July after Biden stepped down following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, raising concerns about the 81-year-old’s age.
Since then, she has largely kept her distance from the president.
The pair last teamed up on the campaign trail nearly two months ago at a Labor Day event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Biden insisted two months ago he would be “on the road” until November 5, campaigning on behalf of his vice president.
Instead, Biden made fewer and fewer appearances, leaving it to former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to hit the trail.
This week, Biden sparked controversy when he appeared to call Trump supporters “garbage.”
It came as the president was denouncing controversial comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico at Trump’s rally on Sunday in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Biden later clarified, saying he was describing the “hateful rhetoric” from Hinchcliffe as “garbage,” but the storm still triggered a furious response from the Trump team.
Harris was forced to come out and distance herself from Biden’s comments this week, with polling on a knife-edge going into the final days of the campaign.
Noting that Biden had “clarified his comments,” Harris added, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
Democratic strategist Jim Demers told Fox News that Harris needs to keep “the focus on her” throughout the election.
“This election is about Kamala Harris, so people need to see the vision that she has for America,” the longtime Biden supporter told Fox News.
But he added, “You’re not going to hold Joe Biden back from being on the campaign and, in the final days, it’s good to see him out there urging people to vote for Kamala Harris.”
The role of the vice president has a complicated history, going back to the founding fathers.
John Adams, the second president, described the vice presidency as “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.”
Early VPs largely focused on presiding over the Senate and concentrating on legislative matters.
But many vice presidents have played integral parts in America’s story.
Eight presidents have died in office, while Richard Nixon’s resignation also left his vice president in control of the White House.
Even those who haven’t gone on to hold the highest office in the land have still used their position to push their own agendas, such as Clinton’s VP Al Gore.
“For most vice presidents, the successor role remains contingent, whereas the operational and advising role is really their significant functional role,” Joel Goldstein, professor emeritus at the Saint Louis University School of Law, told NPR.
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“That’s where a vice president can make a difference, as a fellow politician who can talk truth to power, as an operator who can help the president cover more ground.”
Allan Lichtman’s 2024 presidential election prediction
Renowned historian Allan Lichtman has accurately predicted the outcomes of presidential elections since 1984 using his 13 Keys to the White House algorithm. In 2016, he was one of the few scholars who correctly predicted a Trump win. This year, has revealed who he thinks will be inaugurated as the 47th president in January next year based on his system of true and false statements.
If six or more statements go against the White House party, they are projected to lose the presidential election.
Midterm elections: The Democrats suffered losses in the 2022 House elections, meaning the key turns false. (Harris 0-1 Trump)
There is no primary contest: This key turns in favor of Harris because the Democrats got “smart” and rallied behind the vice president after Joe Biden ended his campaign, according to Lichtman. (Harris 1-1 Trump)
The sitting president is seeking another term: This turns false because Biden suspended his re-election campaign. (Harris 1-2 Trump)
There is no third-party challenger: This statement is true because third-party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. needed to poll at 10% nationally, according to Lichtman. (Harris 2-2 Trump)
The short-term economy is strong: This key goes in favor of the White House Party. (Harris 3-2 Trump)
The long-term economic growth has been as good as the last two terms: This key also swings toward Harris. (Harris 4-2 Trump)
The White House Party has made major national policy changes: This key is also true, according to Lichtman’s theory. (Harris 5-2 Trump)
There is sustained social unrest during the term: College campus demonstrations have erupted in reaction to the Gaza conflict, but no protests have broken out that threaten the fabric of society. This means the key goes in Harris’ column. (Harris 6-2 Trump)
The White House is untainted by scandal: Despite House Republican efforts to impeach Joe Biden, they have been unable to pin a scandal on him. (Harris 7-2 Trump)
The incumbent is charismatic: Harris is not considered a Ronald Reagan or Franklin D. Roosevelt-like figure so the key is false. (Harris 7-3 Trump)
The challenger is uncharismatic: This key goes in favor of the White House party – even though Trump is a showman. (Harris 8-3 Trump)
Lichtman warned that the two foreign policy keys – whether there has been a major success or no failure – could flip either way.
But, even if both statements flipped against Harris, Trump would not have enough keys in his column to win the election.