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You are here: Home / 2024 Campaign / How Kamala Harris Unified the Democratic Party

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Nothing to See Here

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 188: Nothing to See Here

How Kamala Harris Unified the Democratic Party

August 11, 2024 at 9:34 am ET By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Dan Pfeiffer: “One argument against Biden stepping aside was the concern that replacing him could lead to a dangerously divisive process. Some even likened it to the chaotic 1968 Democratic Convention. However, this comparison overlooked the true sources of division within the party. The more likely scenario was the party rallying together to defeat Trump, much like it did in 2020 when Biden unexpectedly secured the nomination.”

“However, it wasn’t just party elites and elected officials who coalesced around Harris. The voters did, too. The simplest explanation for Trump’s polling lead over the last year is that Trump had consolidated his 2020 voters and Biden hadn’t. In the New York Times/Sienna polling, Trump typically got the support of 95% of people who said they voted for him in 2020, and Biden was only getting around 87%. This gap came from Biden’s low approval ratings, concerns about his age, and the fact that even before the debate, 40-50% of Democratic voters said they preferred a different nominee.”

“Well, Kamala Harris solved that problem.”

Filed Under: 2024 Campaign

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Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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