Ohio Senator JD Vance asserted the unreliability of current polls showing Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead, labeling them as historically inaccurate and reflective of flawed polling methodologies.
Fox News reported that Vance is attacking recent polling results that show Vice President Kamala Harris ahead, arguing their historical failure to predict accurate electoral outcomes. Any Democrat who remembers 2016 will understand Vance's statements immediately.
Vance's remarks aired during an interview on "Fox News Sunday," where host Shannon Bream brought up a recent New York Times poll reflecting Harris's favorable positioning against former President Donald Trump in critical states.
The discussion highlighted discrepancies in public polling versus actual electoral outcomes, particularly referencing the pivotal states of Arizona and North Carolina.
Amidst Vance's campaign trail, specifically at an event in Henderson, Nevada on July 30, the Senator reiterated his stance on polling data, citing his campaign's internal findings.
According to Vance, their data contradicts the public polling surge for Harris, suggesting her momentum had plateaued.
Digging deeper into the numbers, the New York Times poll stated Harris had evened out the competition in historically Republican strongholds like Georgia and Nevada. This indicates a potential shift in voter sentiment or, as Vance would argue, a misreading of the true electoral pulse by mainstream pollsters.
Vance pointed towards other polls including an ABC News/Washington Post poll placing Harris 4-5 points ahead nationally. He criticized these results as part of a broader pattern of inaccuracies, especially recalling the 2020 election cycle where similar polls missed the mark.
Furthermore, Vance highlighted a statement made on May 1 by Harris in Jacksonville, Florida, as an insight into the ongoing strategy of the Democratic campaign. He criticized the effectiveness of the current administration in addressing major national issues like inflation, suggesting skepticism from within Harris's camp about the Vice President's performance.
The Senator articulated his perspective about the superficial rise in Harris's numbers, terming it a "sugar high" that had seen no substantial longevity according to his campaign's data. This commentary underscores a significant part of his electoral strategy focused on real voter engagement over fluctuating poll figures.
Real Clear Politics, which aggregates polling data, reflected a lead for Harris over Trump by a narrow margin of 1.4 points as of August 5, marking the first such lead nationally. The fluctuating numbers in key battleground states like Wisconsin and Michigan show Harris ahead, while Trump continues to hold ground in Nevada, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Just days ago, on August 17, former President Trump rallied in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, indicating the intense competition and focus both camps are putting on battleground states, with Pennsylvania currently tied according to Real Clear Politics.
Vance expressed strong confidence in the course of the upcoming election. He noted, "If you see the numbers that we’re seeing, and you talk to the American people, I feel extremely confident we’re going to be in the right place come November."
Concluding his remarks, Vance stressed the importance of voter turnout over polls.
He stated, "We can’t worry about polls, we have to run through the finish line and encourage everybody to get out there and vote." This encapsulates a central theme of his campaign's strategy, focusing on engaging directly with voters to ensure their support translates into votes.