US presidential election analysis from Reuters: Harris not Biden?
According to a Reuters analysis, seven senior sources familiar with current discussions on the issue within the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee say Harris is the best alternative candidate if Joe Biden were to withdraw from the race.
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Following Joe Biden’s performance against Trump, several prominent Democrats, including Harris, popular cabinet members and Democratic governors such as Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, have emerged as potential alternatives to Biden.
But people familiar with the matter, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said trying to remove Harris was wishful thinking and would be virtually impossible.
If selected as the party’s nominee, the 59-year-old Harris would inherit the campaign infrastructure and fundraising of the Biden campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. Harris has the highest name recognition and support of all the alternative candidates, they said.
Trump in the polls
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed Harris trailing Trump by 43-42 percent and receiving roughly the same number of votes as Biden.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Clyburn, a key figure in Biden’s campaign, said in a statement to MSNBC that he would support Harris becoming the Democratic nominee if Biden drops out.
However, according to news reports, Harris’ approval rating for the nomination is just below 40 percent in various surveys.
The US presidential election will be held on November 5th.
