(IntegrityPress.org) – Only 37% of respondents from a new YouGov survey want to see Vice President Kamala Harris selected as the next Democratic candidate for president after Joe Biden withdrew from the contest on Sunday, July 21. The poll was taken the same day as Biden’s announcement, and asked respondents who the next nominee should be. Many respondents said they should nominate someone else (35%), and another large chunk wasn’t sure (27%).
Independents responded with similar percentages; 36% favored someone else, 30% said Harris, and 34% were not sure. Democrats responded favorably, with 60% indicating Harris should be the pick, 21% preferring someone else, and 19% unsure.
The survey queried 2,048 adults living in the U.S. Another poll from the same day asked about how people felt about Joe Biden withdrawing from the race with 71% approving. Even Democrats in isolation agreed to the tune of 70% that Biden wasn’t a good candidate.
Democrats are divided on who their next nominee will be. In Biden’s letter announcing his withdrawal from the contest, he suggested Harris should be the next in line for the role. Bill and Hillary Clinton both immediately supported the suggestion of Harris as the next Democratic presidential nominee.
Former President Barack Obama issued an eloquent hagiography of Joe Biden, heavily endorsing his withdrawal while crucially noting the need for a process to select the next candidate without specifically endorsing Harris, though days later he would.
Biden’s campaign floundered in recent weeks after the first presidential debate revealed his inability to form complete sentences and respond to direct queries in real time. Many have attacked Biden’s competence, but the debate was a turning point, and even members of the corporate press began to highlight his flaws.
Then, an assassination attempt against Trump rallied his supporters and earned him numerous independent supporters who had been previously undecided. Within a week, Biden’s staff announced a positive test for the infamous respiratory virus and, just eight days after the attempted assassination, withdrew entirely from the contest.
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