WASHINGTON: A new poll confirmed on Sunday that Kamala Harris — set to name her vice presidential pick imminently — has drawn level with Donald Trump, transforming a White House race that the Republican had been increasingly confident he was going to win.

As the Nov 5 election rapidly approaches, Harris has erased the growing lead that Trump was building before President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid.

According to the CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday, Harris has a one percent advantage on Trump nationwide — compared to Trump’s previous five point edge on Biden.

In the swing states that decide the Electoral College contest in US elections, Harris and Trump — who shocked the world with his 2016 presidential victory but was beaten by Biden in 2020 — are equal.

Democratic presidential candidate is expected to pick a White man as running mate to balance the ticket

These are considered good numbers for a Democratic candidate who parachuted into the race only last month, when Biden bowed to mounting concerns over his mental acuity and ability at 81 years old to serve a second term. But Harris, who is Biden’s vice president and the first Black and South Asian woman ever in the role, is in a sprint to define herself to voters before Trump does.

A big moment in that process will be when Harris announces her choice for running mate in a historic bid to become America’s first female president. This could happen as early as Sunday or Monday.

Expectations are that Harris will pick a white man to balance the ticket — and likely a moderate Demo­crat who would help counterweigh attacks on Harris from Republicans that she is too far to the left.

VP shortlist

The three figures seen as heading the short list — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona — were all visiting Harris in Washington on Sunday, The Washington Post reported.

“It’s her first major decision that she’s making as an executive, so it tells you about her thought process,” Amy Walter, a polling expert from Cook Political Report newsletter, told CBS News.

The CBS poll, which echoes numerous other surveys indicating rapid gains by Harris, shows that Trump is still favored by voters on the key issue of the economy. Only 25 per cent said they expected to be better off financially if Harris wins, compared to 45 percent who said so about Trump. However, when it comes to trust in the candidates’ temperament, the poll shows voters prefer the former California prosecutor to Trump, a convicted felon who has made a career out of publicly insulting those who oppose him — including while president.

The issue of cognitive health, which used to bedevil Biden, is now a liability for 78-year-old Trump, the poll found. Only 51pc of respondents thought Trump is mentally capable for the presidency, compared to 64pc for Harris.

The Democrats believe that if you “make this referendum on Trump rather than a referendum on the current state of the economy, then we have a real opportunity to win,” Cook said.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2024