A recent analysis by CNN analyst Harry Enten has put cold water on Vice President Kamala Harris' hopes of gaining significant support from young Democratic voters.
Despite the Harris campaign's claims about its supposed ability to energize the youth vote, the data paints a different picture.
Brat Summer or not, I looked at whether Harris has a unique appeal to young voters. She doesn't. He is far worse against Trump than Biden in 2020.
Also, young Democrats are NOT disproportionately more motivated to vote than other Democrats because of Biden's exit. pic.twitter.com/WpH5Sf4vPE
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) July 24, 2024
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According to a memo released Wednesday, the campaign's claim about Harris' appeal to young voters doesn't line up with reality. Enten noted that a CBS News/YouGov poll found that only 42 percent of young Democrats between the ages of 18 and 29 are more motivated to vote after Joe Biden's departure, a three-point difference compared to the Democrats of all age groups.
“It's just not there in the numbers despite all the internet memes going around,” Enten said during a segment on CNN.
Former President Donald Trump's unique candidacy may be a contributing factor to Harris' struggle to attract young voters. Recent data suggests that in 2024, young voters are evenly split between identifying as Republicans and Democrats, a significant shift from the 2020 picture where more young voters identified as Democrats.
Enten clarified that Harris' challenges in mobilizing the youth vote are not due to his unpopularity, but a reflection of the uphill battle he faces against the current political mainstream among young voters.
In the 2020 election, Biden enjoyed a 21-point margin among young voters under the age of 35, a stark contrast to Harris' performance. Recent CNN polls show that Harris has only a nine-point lead, trailing Biden by 12 points.
“When we say Harris is doing worse than Biden, it's not that she's just bad,” Enten explained. “He's trying to fight a tide going against Democrats among young voters.”
He also highlighted the importance of historical trends in young voters' support for Democrats in presidential elections, indicating that Harris falls short of the party's typical margin of at least 20 percentage points.
In light of these findings, there are doubts about the legitimacy of claims suggesting Harris' unique appeal among young voters.
Maybe his performance with younger voters has something to do with calling them stupid…
Here's what Kamala thinks about 18-24 year olds…
It would be a shame if this went viral. pic.twitter.com/j88rO1cZWu
— American AF 🇺🇸 (@iAnonPatriot) July 23, 2024