The Harris Effect: Is Bidens Exit Boosting Democrats Despite Persistent Inflation?

When Biden was the Democratic presidential candidate, high inflation negatively impacted his polling numbers, allowing Trump to take the lead. However, after Biden dropped out and Harris became the nominee, her poll numbers surged 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 due to personal factors rather than solely economic concerns. This situation benefits Harris, as she is viewed as a fresh candidate not burdened by Biden`s perceived shortcomings. This trend of voters prioritizing other issues over the economy was also observed in the 2022 midterm elections, where Democrats performed better than expected despite high inflation.