The Harris Anomaly: Why Are Voters Less Concerned About Inflation Now?

When Biden was the presidential candidate, high inflation negatively impacted his polling numbers and gave Trump a lead. However, after Biden hypothetically dropped out and Harris became the Democratic candidate, Harris surged ahead of Trump despite inflation remaining relatively unchanged. This raises questions about whether voters don`t blame Harris for inflation as much as Biden, and whether Biden`s unpopularity might be due to personal factors rather than solely the economy. This unexpected outcome suggests that Harris, as a fresh candidate, might be benefiting from a separation from Biden`s perceived economic failures. This is further supported by the observation that even during the peak of inflation in 2022, Democrats performed better than expected in the midterm elections, indicating that inflation might not be the deciding factor for voters.