September 19, 2024

Here’s what we found:

• Every clip from Vice President Harris’s interviews with CNN and 6ABC is viewed positively by at least six in ten voters. The clip voters are most likely to view positively (68%) is Harris’s answer to the 6ABC question, “If there’s something you wish Americans knew about who Kamala Harris is, what would that be?” where she spoke about her love of family, her lifelong friend, and how when she was a prosecutor she never asked a victim their political party. 
• Every clip moves support toward Vice President Harris. The best-testing clip, which moves support toward Harris by 2.1 percentage points, is her assertion that she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet. In a close second, a clip that moves support by 1.9 percentage points is one where Harris shares her perspective on President Biden dropping out of the race.
• Voters feel they know more about Harris with every clip they watch. When asked if the clips made voters feel they knew more about Vice President Harris, each clip tested between 56% and 58% in the affirmative. 

THE BEST OF THE BEST

• +2.1 Harris support, 65% view Harris positively, 57% know more about Harris: CNN: “Will you appoint a Republican to your cabinet?  Harris: “Yes, I would, I think it’s really important. I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think it’s important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences. I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet.”

• +1.9 Harris support, 63% view Harris positively, 57% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of perspective on Biden dropping out] “…He was very clear that he was going to support me…I think history is going to show that in so many ways it was transformative, be it what we have accomplished around finally investing in America’s infrastructure, or investing in new economies and new industries; what we have done to bring our allies back together and have confidence in who we are as America and grow that alliance; what we have done to stand true to our principles, including one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity…”

• +1.6 Harris support, 62% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: CNN: “Something that you said in 2019, when you first ran, it was a debate. You raised your hand when asked whether or not the border should be decriminalized. Do you still believe that? “ Harris: “I believe there should be consequences. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally, and there should be consequences. And let’s be clear: in this race, I’m the only person who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations that traffic guns, drugs, and human beings. I’m the only person in this race who actually served a border state as Attorney General to enforce our laws, and I would enforce our laws as president going forward. I recognize the problem in general.”

• +1.5 Harris support, 64% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to 6ABC question on prices and economy] “…My opportunity economy includes giving startups a $50,000 tax deduction to start their small businesses. It used to be $5,000—nobody can start a small business with $5,000—but investing in people’s innovative ideas and giving them the ability to go for it. Opportunity economy—look, we don’t have enough housing in America, and what that means—it’s ridiculous to so many younger Americans. The American dream is elusive; it’s just actually not attainable….A lot of it has to do with just the community I was raised in and the people that I admired—who work hard and deserve to have their dreams fulfilled.”

• +1.5 Harris support, 61% view Harris positively, 57% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to 6ABC question on Trump’s appeal] “…I know in my soul—that the vast majority of us as Americans have so much more in common than what separates us. And I also believe that I am accurate in knowing that most Americans want a leader who brings us together as Americans, and not someone who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us pointing our fingers at each other. I think people are exhausted with that approach, to be honest with you. I think people want a leader who has common sense and tries to find common ground. I’m supported by over two hundred Republicans…”

• +1.4 Harris support, 59% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of response to CNN question on energy and fracking] “…I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking…We are in 2024, and I have not changed and will not change going forward. I kept my word, and I will keep my word…I believe it is very important that we take seriously what we must do to guard against what is a clear crisis in terms of the climate. And to do that, we can do what we have accomplished thus far—the Inflation Reduction Act—what we have done to invest, by my calculation, over $369 billion over the next 10 years investing in a clean-energy economy, what we’ve already done, creating over 300,000 new clean energy jobs. That tells me from my experience as Vice President we can do it without banning fracking. In fact, I cast the tie-breaking vote that actually increased leases for fracking as Vice President. So I’m very clear about where I stand.”

• +1.4 Harris support, 65% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: CNN: “…He suggested that you ‘happened to turn Black recently’ for political purposes, about your identity.”  Harris: “Oh, that’s the same old tired playbook. Next question, please.” CNN: “President Biden has tried unsuccessfully to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza; he’s been trying to do it for weeks and weeks, along with you. Would you do anything differently? For example, would you withhold some U.S. weapons shipments to Israel? That’s what a lot of people on the progressive left want you to do.” Harris: “Let me be very clear, unequivocal, and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself, and that’s not going to change. But let’s take a step back. On October 7th, 1,200 people were massacred—many young people who were simply attending a music festival; women were horribly raped. As I said then, I say today, Israel had a right—has a right to defend itself. We would, and how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. And we’ve got to get a deal done. We were in Doha; we have to get a deal done. This war must end. In the meantime, we must get a deal that is about getting the hostages out. I’ve met with the families of the American hostages. Let’s get the hostages out. Let’s get the ceasefire done.”

• +1.3 Harris support, 65% view Harris positively, 56% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to 6ABC question on offering new generation of leadership] Harris: “I am focusing again on the aspirations and the dreams, but also recognizing that at this moment in time, some of the stuff we could take for granted years ago, we can’t take anymore. For example, another plan that I have that is a new approach is to expand the child tax credit to $6,000 for the first year of a child’s life because that is obviously a very critical stage of development. A lot of young parents need the help to buy a car seat or a crib or clothes for their kids. And so my approach is about new ideas, new policies that are directed at the current moment. And also, to be very honest with you, my focus is very much on what we need to do for the next 10 to 20 years to catch up to the 21st century around, again, capacity but also challenge.”

• +1.3 Harris support, 66% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to 6ABC question gun ownership and crime] …Harris: “I support the Second Amendment and I support reasonable gun safety laws. Part of my approach to this is I was a prosecutor for most of my career. I have personally prosecuted homicide cases, I have personally looked at autopsies, I have personally seen what assault weapons do to the human body. And so I feel very strongly that it is consistent with the Second Amendment and your right to own a gun to also say we need an assault weapons ban. They’re literally tools of war. It was literally designed to kill a lot of human beings quickly. I say we need universal background checks. The majority of NRA members support that. Why? ‘Cause it’s just reasonable. You just might want to know before someone can buy a lethal weapon if they’ve been found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others…”

• +1.3 Harris support, 66% view Harris positively, 56% know more about Harris: CNN: “You have been a very staunch defender of President Biden’s capacity to serve another four years. Right after the debate, you insisted that President Biden is extraordinary, really strong. Given where we are now, do you have any regrets about what you told the American people?” Harris: “No. Not at all. Not at all. I have served with President Biden for almost four years now, and I’ll tell you, it’s one of the greatest honors of my career, truly. He cares so deeply about the American people. He is so smart and loyal to the American people. And I have spent hours upon hours with him in the Oval Office or the Situation Room. He has the intelligence, the commitment, and the judgment and disposition that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president. By contrast, the former president has none of that. And so, one, I am so proud to have served as Vice President to Joe Biden, and two, I’m so proud to be running with him for President of the United States, and to bring America what I believe the American people deserve, which is a new way forward and turn the page on the last decade of what I believe has been contrary to where the spirit of our country really lies.”

• +1.3 Harris support, 63% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: [CNN question about economic recovery and prices] Harris: “Well, first of all, we had to recover as an economy, and we have done that. I’m very proud of the work that we have done that has brought inflation down to less than 3%, of the work that we have done to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. Donald Trump said he was going to do a number of things, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices; never happened. We did it. So now, as I travel in the state of Georgia and around our country, the number of seniors that have benefited—I’ve met. I was in Nevada recently, a grandmother who showed me her—before we capped the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 a month, she was paying hundreds of dollars, up to thousands of dollars a month for her insulin. She’s not doing that anymore. Bidenomics is a success. I maintain that when we do the work of bringing down prescription medication for the American people, including capping the annual cost of prescription medication for seniors at $2,000. When we do what we did in the first year of being in office to extend the child tax credit so that we cut child poverty in America by 50%. When we do what we have done to invest in the American people, in bringing manufacturing back to the United States so that we created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs, bringing business back to America. What we have done to improve the supply chain so we’re not relying on foreign governments to supply American families with their basic needs. I’ll say that that’s good work. There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”

• +1.2 Harris support, 62% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to CNN question about day one priorities]  Harris: “…One of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class. When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by hope and optimism. I think sadly, in the last decade, we have had, in the former president, someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans, really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that. Day one, it’s going to be about implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy. I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re going to do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re going to do to invest in families. For example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life to help them buy a car seat, to help them buy baby clothes, a crib. There’s the work that we’re going to do that is about investing in the American family around affordable housing, a big issue in our country right now…”

• +1.2 Harris support, 63% view Harris positively, 57% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to CNN question about policy shifts] Harris: “I think that the most important and significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values do not change. I have always believed, and I’ve worked on it, that the time of crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time. We did that with the Inflation Reduction Act…My value around what we need to do to secure our border—that value has not changed. I spent two terms as the Attorney General of California prosecuting transnational criminal organizations, violations of American laws regarding the illegal passage of guns, drugs, and human beings across our border. My values have not changed…I believe it is important to build consensus, and it is important to find a common place of understanding where we can actually solve problems.”

• +1.1 Harris support, 68% view Harris positively, 57% know more about Harris: [Shortened version of the response to 6ABC question about what voters do not know about her] Harris: “…I love my family. One of my favorite things that I did lately, but have not been able to do, is Sunday family dinner, and I love to cook. I have incredible friends. My best friend from kindergarten is still my best friend. I think that—I mean, I have a career that really—and I said it the other day—you know, as a career prosecutor, I never asked a victim of crime were they a Republican or a Democrat. The only thing I ever asked them is, ‘Are you okay?’ And I think that’s the approach that most Americans want, regardless of who they voted for in the last election, in terms of turning the page and trying to get a way forward. I’m actually looking forward to cooking Sunday dinner. I am looking forward to it. I love it. I guess I am looking forward to cooking with the whole family. Everyone gets involved. The kids eat.

• +0.8 Harris support, 63% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: CNN: “Many Americans are struggling. There’s a crisis of affordability. One of your campaign themes is, ‘We’re not going back,’ but I wonder what you say to voters who do want to go back when it comes to the economy specifically, because their groceries were less expensive, housing was more affordable when Donald Trump was president.” Harris: “Well, let’s start with the fact that when Joe Biden and I came into office during the height of a pandemic. We saw over 10 million jobs were lost. People were trying to get by. Literally, we were all tracking the numbers; hundreds of people a day were dying because of COVID. The economy had crashed, and in large part all of that was because of mismanagement by Donald Trump of that crisis. When we came in, our highest priority was to do what we could to rescue America. And today we know that we have inflation at under 3%. A lot of our policies have led to the reality that America recovered faster than any wealthy nation around the world. But you are right: prices, in particular for groceries, are still too high. The American people know what I know, which is why my agenda includes what we need to do to bring down the price of groceries. For example, dealing with an issue like price gouging; what we need to do to extend the child tax credit to help young families be able to take care of their children in their most formative years; what we need to do to bring down the cost of housing. My proposal includes what would be a tax credit of $25,000 for first-time homebuyers, so they can just have enough to put a down payment on a home, because it’s part of the American dream and their aspiration, but do it in a way that allows them to actually get on the path to achieving that goal and that dream.”

• +0.6 Harris support, 62% view Harris positively, 58% know more about Harris: CNN: “As Vice President, you were tasked with addressing the root causes of migration in countries in Central America that affect the southern border of the U.S. During the Biden-Harris administration, there were record numbers of illegal border crossings. Why did the Biden-Harris administration wait three and a half years to implement sweeping asylum restrictions?”  Harris: “Well, first of all, the root causes work that I did as Vice President, that I was asked by the President, has actually resulted in a number of benefits, including historic investments by American businesses in that region. The number of immigrants coming from that region has actually reduced since we began that work. But I will say this: Joe Biden and I, and our administration, worked with members of the United States Congress on an immigration issue that is very significant to the American people and to our security, which is the border. And through bipartisan work, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Congress, a bill was crafted which we supported. And Donald Trump got word of this bill that would have contributed to securing our border, and because he believed that it would not have helped him politically, he told his folks in Congress, ‘Don’t put it forward.’ He killed the bill. A border security bill that would have put 1,500 more agents on the border. Let me tell you something: the Border Patrol endorsed the bill, and I’m sure in large part because they know they’re working around the clock, and 1,500 more agents would help them. That bill would have allowed us to increase seizures of fentanyl. Ask any community in America that has been devastated by fentanyl what passing that bill would have done to address their concerns and the pain that they feel.”

ABOUT THE POLL

Blueprint surveyed an online sample of 6,268 voters from September 17 to September 19. Respondents were randomly exposed to no clip or a random clip of 16 questions and answers from ABC and CNN interviews of Kamala Harris.

Treatment effects were estimated through a regression model comparing control group respondents to treated respondents by clip, adjusting for pre-treatment covariates.

The survey was conducted in English.

PRESS CONTACTS

Alyssa Cass
alyssa@slingshotstrat.com
347-992-5006

Evan Roth Smith
evan@slingshotstrat.com
646-240-0096

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