As poll numbers drop, Harris stokes fear of a “fascist” Trump

Kamala Harris must abandon joy and turn to the stoking fear of Donald Trump because she has utterly failed to define herself before the American people.

For the candidate who has inexplicably changed her view on every major issueperhaps not surprisingly, Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign also took a 180-degree turn.

What started this summer with an explosionjoy“And”good vibes” has suddenly morphed into something completely different now that we are getting closer to the election.

Democrats latched on to Harris’ cheerful personality and broad smile, and for a while that seemed to be enough to put her at distance from former President Donald Trump. It also helped that she wasn’t her boss, President Joe Biden, whose fall could not be covered up.

Harris’s initial shock has worn off, however, and polls indicate that it has We are losing ground in these crucial last days campaign – while Trump gains it.

That’s why in recent days the tone of Harris’ campaign has changed radically – from joy to fear-mongering. Gone are the days of focusing on the “opportunity economy.” It’s time to call Trump a “fascist.”

Will scare tactics attract voters to Harris? Doubtful.

Over the last few events, Harris has doubled down on his dire warnings about what a second Trump term will look like. From his residence in Washington, Harris told reporters on Wednesday that Trump is “increasingly unbalanced and unstable” and that he “wants unchecked power.”

Harris chose to respond to recent media interviews with John Kelly, Trump’s former White House chief of staff and retired general. Kelly quotes Trump as saying:falls under the general definition of fascism”

Later that day, during a CNN town hall in Pennsylvania, host Anderson Cooper asked Harris directly if she thought Trump was a fascist. She said, “Yes, I want to.”

So what causes this change in tone? It all has to do with polls.

Opinion: Why is Trump doing so well in the polls? It’s economics, stupid.

Several recent studies indicate a race to tighten monetary policy – and in Trump’s favor. AND new Wall Street Journal poll. said Trump leads Harris, 47% to 45%. In August, Harris led Trump by 2 points.

Also bad for Harris: Voters view the vice president in a more negative light, with 53% viewing her unfavorably compared to 45% who view her favorably. In August, these numbers were even.

Her job approval rating has also dropped, putting her more on par with where she was before Biden dropped out race in July. Although it has a rating of -12 (54% disagree; 42% support), voters rate Trump’s performance in office much higher – +4 points, with 52% approval and 48% disapproval.

When it comes to the issues voters care most about, Trump also dominates. “Dziennik” survey. I found it “10 points more voters have a favorable than unfavorable view of Trump’s economic plan for the country, while unfavorable views of Harris’ economic plan outweigh favorable views by 4 points.”

Similarly recent NBC News Poll found that 45% of registered voters believe the Biden-Harris administration’s policies “harm” their families, compared to just 25% who said they helped them. By comparison, 44% of voters said Trump’s policies helped them while he was in office (31% said they were harmed).

That’s why Harris wants to change the conversation.

Opinion: I am not a non-MAGA conservative. Sanctimonious liberals make me want to vote for Trump.

Harris can’t define herself, so she talks about Trump

In case it’s not obvious what Harris is trying to do, a speech is scheduled speech on Tuesday at the same location in front of the White House where President Trump delivered a speech shortly before the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

He will drive home how terrible it would be for the country and democracy if Trump won re-election.

Harris needs to abandon the joy and turn to this rhetoric because she failed to define it at all to the American people and what her presidency will look like. She was repeatedly unable to say what she would do differently than Biden, including a CNN town hall.

To fill this huge void, he fills it with fear of Trump. However, this is not a new tactic and that is what it is Neither did Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has proven ineffective for Biden in recent years. Recall Biden’s dark rhetoric during his 2022 speech when he issued warnings “The Threat to Democracy from Trump and MAGA.He even had ominous blood red background to emphasize your point.

Biden also called Trump and his supporters supporters of “semi-fascism”.“

Hand-wringing over Trump couldn’t save Biden’s campaign this year. Don’t count on him helping Harris either.

We already know he’s not Trump. But we still don’t know who she is.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques.