Vice President Kamala Harris' historically unpopular status among the American people has become increasingly hard to ignore. A poll conducted earlier this month shows that 32% of registered voters have a positive view of the Democrat while 49% have a negative view. This net-negative rating of -17 is the lowest for any vice president in the poll’s history.
The news outlet stated that the only other vice president to have a negative rating was Mike Pence, who was at 34% positive and 38% negative in October 2019 with a -4 rating. President Joe Biden barely made it into positive territory back in December 2010, with a 34% positive and 33% negative rating for a +1 split.
Even Dick Cheney fared better in May 2003 with a +23 split from a positive rating of 47% and a negative rating of 24%. The furthest back in time that NBC News looked was March 1995, when Al Gore scored a 42% positive and 27% negative rating, resulting in a +15 split.
Since Harris is the first woman, Black American, and South Asian American to serve as vice president, it is difficult to ignore the notion that her unpopularity is due in part to latent racism and sexism. That’s not to discount her performance in the role; she has failed to impress in a way not seen with her predecessors ever since Al Gore was in the White House.
Her public speaking appearances have become fodder for mockery, while critics have suggested she is not taking seriously her role leading Biden’s administration on tackling the migration challenge at the U.S.-Mexico border. Her ratings become more concerning when it was announced that President Biden had chosen to stick with Harris for his 2024 re-election campaign.
The new poll from NBC News has also found growing anxiety concerning Biden‘s fitness to serve, with more than two-thirds of registered voters expressing moderate to major concerns about him not having the necessary mental and physical health to be president.
Still, a hypothetical general election rematch showed Biden ahead with 49% support over former President Donald Trump's 45%, while he and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were tied at 47%.
It appears that, despite Harris and Biden’s unpopularity, it will take more than that for the GOP to have a shot at the White House and many of them are not prepared to let Trump go.