The Harris Effect: Why Bidens Exit Could Defy Inflation Woes for Democrats

When Biden was the presidential candidate, high inflation negatively impacted his polling numbers and gave Trump an advantage. After Biden hypothetically dropped out and was replaced by Harris, Harris polled significantly better than Trump despite inflation remaining relatively unchanged. This begs the question: why is Harris seemingly unaffected by the inflation that plagued Biden? Some theorize that voters place the blame for a poor economy on the president and not other incumbents. Others believe that Biden`s unpopularity stems from personal reasons rather than his handling of the economy. Regardless of the reason, Harris seems to be benefiting from running without being tied to Biden`s less popular aspects. This was also observed in the 2022 midterm elections where Democrats performed well despite high inflation and economic concerns.