As Harris leads over Trump, what has worked for her that didn't work Biden?

While looking back at his decision to exit the 2024 US Presidential race, US President Joe Biden said that he had to make this decision to keep the Democratic party united in its endeavour to “ defeat Trump ”. In the candid interview with CBS News, Biden also mentioned that his second-in-command, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz make “a hell of a team”.

Biden’s assertion also got support from the surveys which showed Harris leading against Trump by 4 points in key battleground states. The survey published by T_he New York Times/Siena College_ on Saturday morning found that Harris has taken the lead over Trump in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, garnering 50 per cent support to Trump’s 46 per cent in the hypothetical matchup.

Harris’ numbers mark a significant improvement when compared to President Biden’s performance in the same swing states. In the NYT/Siena polls conducted earlier this year, Biden garnered 45 per cent support to Trump’s 48 per cent in Pennsylvania. Polls from April and early May, however, showed the president leading his GOP rival in Michigan (47 per cent to 46 per cent) but trailing Trump in Wisconsin (46 per cent to 47 per cent).

Many believe that Harris’s campaign is performing much better than Biden’s. So here’s a look at what gives the Harris-Walz campaign an edge.

When Kamala became an instant pop-culture icon 

Biden’s endorsement of Harris after exiting the presidential race was met with excitement. The president had to step down from the race amid growing concerns about his age and mental acuity. Right from the beginning Harris became what is commonly known as a “pop culture icon”.

In days since Harris announced her candidacy, her old speech about her mother asking her if “she fell out of a coconut tree” became viral. Not on this, British pop superstar Charli XCX’s endorsement of her by calling her a “brat” took the youngsters by storm.

From Harris’ love for venn diagrams to her distinct laughter, the 59-year-old garnered a kind of attention which neither her former boss Biden nor her new rival Donald Trump were getting in their presidential bids.

Harsher stance on Israel

While Biden has expressed solidarity with Israel after Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack, he rarely expressed concerns for the Palestinian cause. In fact, the POTUS kept up the flow of weapons to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel despite expressing qualms about deaths among Palestinians.

Harris, on the other hand, hasn’t exactly broken with Biden over the issue but has always presented a stronger and clearer stance on the matter. In the past, Harris voiced sympathy for Palestinians caught in the crossfire of Israel’s war with Hamas. In March this year, she was one of the first high-profile leaders to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Harris’ difference in approach can be seen in how her, Biden and Trump’s meeting went with Netanyahu. While both Trump and Biden blindly expressed their support to the Israeli premier, Harris vowed to “ not be silent ” about the Gaza crisis during her meeting with Netanyahu.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and how it does so matters. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating,” the Democratic presidential nominee told reporters. “It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination,” she added.

She was also one of the first candidates in the presidential race to point out that “far too many lives” have been lost in the war while condemning the Gaza school attack.

With a significant chunk of the American population condemning Israel’s offence in Gaza, many believe that Harris has a balanced approach to the matter.

Nasty attacks from Trump and Vance only helped Kamala 

Right after Harris got Biden’s endorsement, both Trump and Vance hurled a plethora of insults. While pushing his pro-family policies, Trump’s running mate JD Vance said that Harris was one of the “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”

“If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children," the Ohio senator said in a 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson. While Vance kept on defending his statement, Harris’ family and many notable public figures, including American actress Jennifer Aniston came out in Harris’ support.

Vance eventually called it merely a “sarcastic remark”, as he attempted to deflect charges of misogyny. Trump took his own share of potshots against Harris which was often referred to as “insensitive”. Earlier, the former president went on to question Harris’ race.

“ Is she Indian or is she black ?” Trump said which garnered gasps from the audience at a convention hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago. “I’ve known her a long time, indirectly not directly… and she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” he furthered.

“I didn’t know she was black, until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black, and now she wants to be known as black, so I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black?” he asked. While the comments from both Trump and Vance garnered severe criticism, they helped Kamala’s bid for the White House. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party’s “Trump is weird” strategy managed to significantly rattle the GOP.

Harris’ ’trump’ card - Tim Walz 

Many Democrats celebrated when Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her vice presidential candidate. In the past, the Biden-Harris ticket was called elitist by many. While Biden was a longtime lawmaker from Delaware, Harris served as a district attorney in San Francisco and became the first female Attorney General of the state of California.

Meanwhile, Walz is known for his humble beginning. The former high school teacher has also served in the American military. Hence, Democrats are hoping that Tim Walz will help them maintain a toehold in small towns, medium-sized cities and suburban enclaves that will be crucial in a November showdown with Trump.

It is pertinent to note that Walz held on to the conservative-leaning, rural southern Minnesota congressional district for six terms. Interestingly, it was the same region which voted for Trump in 2020 (Walz’s congressional term ended in 2018). Ever since Harris picked Walz as her running mate, this red district has seen a burst of Democratic enthusiasm — from “Hotdish for Harris” events to phones ringing off the hook as voters call to ask for Harris-Walz yard signs, Politico reported. Hence, the Democrats are hoping for a similar response across the United States.

All these factors gave Harris’ campaign an edge if we compare it to that of Trump’s or even Biden’s.