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JD Vance is set to follow Kamala Harris for three days on her swing state tour with Tim Walz.
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Republicans are working hard to stem the momentum surrounding Harris’ presidential campaign.
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But Vance may fail in his efforts, as his standing with voters remains low.
Vice President Kamala Harris is just hours away from embarking on a swing state road trip with her newly announced running mate Tim Walz, an effort that is poised to be a major turning point for the Democratic ticket.
But if Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the GOP vice presidential nominee, has his way, Harris’ time in the spotlight with Walz won’t be an easy experience.
Vance plans to follow Harris for three days in four swing states as the presumptive Democratic nominee campaigns with Walz, according to a schedule shared with Political. The implementation is especially important for Harris as she became the party’s standard-bearer less than a month ago after President Joe Biden’s departure of the presidential race.
The Ohioan should follow Harris in Philadelphia; Detroit; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Raleigh, North Carolina. And while Vance won’t headline the rallies, he will make media appearances in cities alongside voters critical of the Biden-Harris administration.
At first glance, Vance’s trip may not seem like a high-risk endeavor.
But it’s a gamble.
Republicans want to dampen Harris’ momentum
In recent months, former President Donald Trump has led Biden in most major national polls. And Vance’s choice for vice president was apparently not aimed at attracting undecided voters – who were souring on Biden – but rather at consolidating the Republican base.
But Biden’s withdrawal from the race and Harris’ ability to quickly rally the party around her caught the Republican Party by surprise. And it undermined any real impact that could have resulted from last month’s Republican National Convention.
In recent days, Harris and Trump have been locked in a tight race in national polls and swing states, with the vice president leading in some polls.
Enter Vance, who wants to stop any kind of sustained momentum for Harris as she trips Walz.
When Harris appears in main battlefields this week, Vance will be there to attack the Democratic ticket on local news and appeal to conservative voters to sharpen criticism of Biden’s record on issues like the economy and immigration. The senator apparently intends to get ahead of the news cycle to mitigate a potential honeymoon period for the Democratic vice presidency.
Vance’s effort could make him even more unpopular
Since joining the Republican Party ticket last month, Vance’s launch has been rocky.
Vance already had a national profile because of her best-selling 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” But before Vance was elected to office in 2022, he made a series of controversial statements and, during a notable interview, considered some Democratic Party leaders to be “cat ladies without kids“who had no interest in the future of the country.
Vance’s past remarks and opinions on issues like Ukraine (he opposes U.S. funding for the conflict) have not been a hit with voters. He boasted a favorability rating of minus five points after the Republican Party convention. Last month, CNN reported that Vance had a double-digit unfavorable rating with voters in a group of Midwestern states that included his native Ohio.
So Vance’s plan to attack Harris and Walz will be a tricky balancing act. Vance doesn’t have the highest standing with voters right now, and Harris now has an executive on the Democratic ticket with real power. appeal among working-class voters.
Vance may have difficulty defining Harris’ views
Vance will try to draw attention to the Republican ticket when Americans naturally want to learn more about Walz.
It will be a big fight for attention during a time when Harris could receive another boost in the polls based on selection.
Republicans sought to portray Harris as too liberal for the country and pointed to her San Francisco Bay Area roots to make their case.
But that argument has so far failed to prove effective with voters, and Walz is widely seen as the top Democratic pick.
Vance will certainly criticize Harris for her past support of more liberal proposals on health during her 2020 presidential campaign. But Harris now has a track record as part of the administration and can point to populist achievements such as capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month for many Americans on Medicare.
Some voters will applaud Vance’s side trip to Harris’ vice presidential launch, while others will see it as a stunt. Either way, Vance’s itinerary shows that the Democrats have all the momentum right now and the Republicans are doing everything they can to stop it.
This story was originally published on August 5. It has been updated with information about Harris’ selection of Walz.
Read the original article at Business Insider
