Some voters who supported Biden in 2020 are seeking more information about Vice President Kamala Harris as the election approaches, expressing to the New York Times that they feel uninformed about the Democratic nominee’s policies.
“I need to hear more from Kamala Harris in terms of what she wants to do. I hear a lot from Trump, and I agree with some of his policies, but I don’t like his character. And I think I need to hear a little bit more from her for her to win my vote,” Prince, a Democratic North Carolina voter, told the Times.
The New York Times interviewed 15 voters who supported President Biden in 2020 during a Times Opinion focus group. While some expressed a desire for more information about Harris, only three participants remained genuinely undecided between her and former President Trump by the end of the discussion.
“I don’t know that there’s much that Trump could say, because we already know what he’s like. I think for Harris, if she came out with a more specific outline of some of her policies and if I heard some policies that aren’t too good to be true, like the $25,000 home-buyer tax credit,” a North Carolina Republican voter said.
The third undecided voter, a 35-year-old Independent from Georgia, expressed a desire for more information on Harris’ immigration and economic policies. He mentioned that he would pay closer attention to the vice presidential debate and hoped Gov. Tim Walz would elaborate on Harris’ policies.
An Independent voter from Nevada indicated that while she leaned toward Harris, she hesitated because she felt she didn’t know enough about her. However, by the end of the discussion, she did not state that she remained undecided.
Magie Omero, the New York Times moderator, asked the group to share what they liked most and least about both the vice president and the former president. One voter from Michigan noted that his favorite aspect of Harris was simply that she was not Trump. Another called her smart and “relatable,” while others compared Trump to a dictator and described him as “self-centered.”
“I don’t feel like she’s had time to set herself apart from what Biden’s been doing for the last four years. For the most part, she’s run with a similar plan. I don’t know that that’s the best plan,” one of the Republican voters from North Carolina said, responding to the question about what they like least about Harris.
Another Republican voter concurred, stating, “She seems to offer a fresh perspective, but I don’t think we’ve had enough time to really understand what that perspective entails.”
A Democratic voter from Pennsylvania echoed the sentiments of the Republicans, saying they felt uninformed about Harris’ agenda.
When asked about their feelings regarding Harris as the Democratic nominee, several participants expressed dissatisfaction, noting that she is the current vice president.
“I’m not that satisfied. She has been the vice president for the past four years and not really implemented anything. I wish the economy were better, and I heard she was in charge of border issues. We could have done a little bit better for a Democratic candidate,” one Wisconsin Democrat said. She also said Harris was “wishy-washy.”
