Who would’ve ever imagine this? They are starting to tell the truth,
On Friday morning, CNN anchor Kate Bolduan scrutinized how Vice President Kamala Harris could improve her standing in the polls, given that former President Donald Trump appears to be significantly outperforming her on economic issues.
During a discussion with CNN political analysts Van Jones and Alyssa Farah Griffin, Bolduan highlighted the current dilemma for Harris. Despite her strong performance in recent debates and effective messaging in various areas, Trump continues to dominate on one of the most critical topics of this election cycle: the economy.
Bolduan pointed out a recent snap poll showing that Trump had a 20-point lead over Harris on economic issues, even though most respondents felt she won the debate. “You’ve got a potentially promising sign for Harris with her focus on late-stage changes, but Trump is still significantly ahead on economic matters,” she said.
The anchor described the Harris campaign as being in a challenging position as the November election approaches. The polling data, Bolduan noted, indicates Trump’s substantial advantage in economic discussions immediately following the debate.
However, Jones and Griffin provided a counter-narrative. Jones reminded viewers that in the 2012 election, many voters believed Mitt Romney was stronger on economic issues compared to President Obama, yet Obama won. “People may think Romney was better on the economy, but they believed Obama would fight harder for them,” Jones explained.
Griffin argued that Trump’s potential to leverage his economic advantage might be undermined by his tendency to get sidetracked. She pointed to his recent debate moments, suggesting that Trump’s distractions could prevent him from fully capitalizing on his economic strengths. “Trump’s strongest issue is the economy, but his focus often shifts away from it,” Griffin said, citing his bizarre commentary during the debate.
Jones added that every candidate has their strengths and weaknesses. For Trump, it’s the economy; for Harris, it’s other issues like abortion. “Candidates need to mitigate their weaknesses and emphasize their strengths,” he noted.
Bolduan remained skeptical about the Harris campaign’s effectiveness on economic messaging. She criticized the administration’s responses to her questions about why Harris and President Biden aren’t performing better on economic issues. “The answers from the administration and Democratic officials have been unsatisfactory,” Bolduan said. “There needs to be a point where this reasoning is no longer acceptable.”
As the election nears, the challenge for Harris and her team will be to address these economic concerns and provide a compelling narrative to counter Trump’s advantage.
