Why is Vice President Harris’ approval rating so low? Blame Biden, polarization, less chance of being seen as a leader

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Only 28% of voters approve of the work Vice President Kamala Harris is doing, according to a recent poll by USA Today and the University of Suffolk. By comparison, President Biden’s approval rating is now 41%, and former Vice President Dick Cheney’s was 13% when he stepped down in 2009.

Further, “exasperation and dysfunction” is how President Biden’s team views Vice President Kamala Harris’ team, CNN reports, and the feelings are apparently mutual. Over the summer, Politico cited a source who described Harris’ office as “an unhealthy environment” and plagued by dissent.

“The vice-presidents’ ratings tend to follow the presidents approval ratings. And so I think the fact that President Biden’s ratings went down was also a drag on the Vice President’s. Likewise, his is inferior to his, and among some grassroots democratic groups, significantly, ”says Joel Goldstein, professor emeritus of constitutional law at the University of Saint Louis and an academic in the US vice-presidency.

He notes that the country is so polarized that the ceiling for these odds is lower than in the past. “Both Bush presidents had ratings that were in the ’80s or even’ 90s. … It’s hard to see that happen, given that a significant number of Republican voters don’t even think of the president. Biden and Vice President Harris won the election, despite all the evidence that they clearly did.

As for the Republicans ‘ads and posts, how much is that supposed to hurt Harris’ future political career?

“Ever since Biden named Senator Harris as running mate, Republicans and their co-supporters and supporters in the media have really attacked her. … I think race and gender are part of it, but not entirely, ”says Goldstein. “And I think the other – because the vice president is less visible … [and] The less opportunities to have accomplishments and to be seen as a leader, it is more difficult to have strong ratings.

However, he says Harris did well last week when she went to Paris and had the chance to perform as a world leader.

This contrasts with the time when she was in Latin America in the spring and said, “I want to be clear with the people in this region who are considering taking this dangerous trip to the border between the United States and Mexico: do not don’t come. Don’t come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border. “

Goldstein says the remarks hurt her, and when she told NBC News host Lester Holt in June that she had not been to the US-Mexico border or to Europe. “Those two moments and any kind of perceived blunder tend to have a disproportionate influence because it’s something that can be replayed over and over again. And it’s hard to escape.

He says that in modern times the vice president plays an important role in two ways: by advising the president confidentially in all matters, and by accepting important operational tasks from the president.

“More and more, I would expect her to take on the role she has played in recent weeks – trying to make the case that the infrastructure legislation that the president has signed, and climate change and some other politicians… are the right courses, and with that, to try and increase the popularity of the president and her at the same time.

What if the re-election campaign season arrives and Biden and Harris remain unpopular?

Goldstein says it’s not uncommon for administrations to be unpopular from the start. For example, Ronald Reagan had low approval ratings during his first term, then was re-elected by a landslide in 1984. Barack Obama and Bill Clinton both struggled in their mid-elections. term in 2010 and 1994, respectively, but were both re-elected.

“I think the vice-presidency… is a great presidential springboard. He is raising someone from the ranks of the main contenders. But that doesn’t guarantee that someone will be the candidate, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a clear field. It definitely gives you a boost, ”he says. “But if your administration is not popular, if you are perceived [as] not doing a good job, that doesn’t mean you’re going to cross the finish line and get the nomination anyway.

He adds that 2024 is far away and that a lot can change between now and then.

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