The Harris Surge: Is It More Than Just Inflation?

When Biden was the presidential candidate, high inflation negatively impacted his polling numbers, allowing Trump to take the lead. However, after Biden dropped out and Harris became the Democratic candidate, her poll numbers surged ahead of Trump`s despite inflation remaining relatively unchanged. This suggests that voters may hold Biden more accountable for inflation than Harris, challenging the idea that voters simply blame the incumbent president for economic troubles. Additionally, voters` negative perception of Biden might be more personal than economic, potentially stemming from his age and declining energy levels. This situation benefits Harris, who, as a fresh candidate, avoids carrying the burden of Biden`s negative record. This is significant because it implies that inflation might not be the deciding factor in the election, as Democrats performed better than expected in the 2022 midterms despite high inflation.