A new national poll reveals that three-quarters of voters believe the Democratic Party would stand a better chance of retaining the White House with someone other than President Biden at the top of the ticket.
Released Tuesday by CNN, the survey suggests that Vice President Kamala Harris performs slightly better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against former President Trump, the likely GOP nominee.
This poll was conducted entirely after Biden’s shaky performance during last Thursday’s debate with Trump. At 81 years old, Biden is the oldest president in the nation’s history and is currently navigating the most challenging phase of his re-election campaign. His stumbling answers and halting delivery at the debate have caused widespread panic within the Democratic Party, leading political pundits, editorial writers, and some party members and donors to call for Biden to step aside as the party’s 2024 nominee. According to the poll, 75% of voters and 56% of Democratic-aligned voters believe the Democratic Party would have a better shot at keeping the presidency if Biden is replaced.
In stark contrast, 60% of voters and 83% of Republican-aligned voters think the GOP has a better chance of winning the presidential election with Trump as the nominee. Trump holds a six-point lead over Biden (49%-43%) among registered voters nationwide, a margin unchanged from CNN’s previous poll in April, and consistent with CNN polling dating back to last autumn.
Interestingly, Vice President Harris trails Trump by just two points (47%-45%) in a hypothetical matchup, according to the poll.
“Harris’ slightly stronger showing against Trump rests at least in part on broader support from women (50% of female voters back Harris over Trump vs. 44% for Biden against Trump) and independents (43% Harris vs. 34% Biden),” the poll notes.
This poll underscores the growing unease within the Democratic Party about Biden’s viability as a candidate and raises questions about whether Harris might be a more formidable contender against Trump. The party is now faced with a difficult decision: stick with Biden and hope for a turnaround or consider a change at the top of the ticket to enhance their chances in 2024.
