The Harris Factor: Why Voters Seem More Forgiving of Inflation Under a New Candidate

When Biden was the projected 2024 presidential candidate, high inflation negatively impacted his approval ratings and gave Trump a lead in the polls. However, after Biden hypothetically drops out and Harris becomes the Democratic candidate, she experiences a surge in popularity and surpasses Trump in the polls, despite inflation remaining relatively unchanged. This raises the question of whether voters don`t blame Harris for inflation as much as they did Biden, or if other factors are at play. Some speculate that voters might hold the president more accountable for the economy than the vice president. Others suggest that Biden`s declining popularity could be due to personal factors unrelated to the economy. This unexpected turn of events benefits Harris, allowing her to distance herself from Biden`s perceived failures. Interestingly, the 2022 midterm elections showed that even with high inflation, Democrats performed better than expected, suggesting that inflation might not be the deciding factor for voters.