Frank Luntz Calls Start of Harris Campaign ‘Best Launch That I’ve Seen’ But Warns ‘That’s Still Not Enough’
Pollster and political strategist Frank Luntz said that Vice President Kamala Harris has enjoyed the “best” campaign launch he’s ever seen, but warned “that’s still not enough” during an appearance on CNN Wednesday.
After being asked by Brianna Keilar about how the presidential race was turning out in the battleground states expected to decide the election, Luntz pronounced that “there’s been a shift over the last four weeks, and that shift is significant.”
“You see it in the polls, you see it in the focus groups, Joe Biden was definitively losing those states by a narrow margin, but she is now definitively even or up in the key states, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Those are the states that absolutely matter most. And these last two nights, you actually can, I’ve been in the hall. I can see it: the level of intensity, the level of passion,” he said, adding:
I don’t want to go overboard because these are the people who care the most about a Democratic victory. But it is palpable. And the difference between the Democratic convention and the Republican convention, to me is very noticeable. It is louder here, it is more emotional here. It is- they sense a chance to succeed, which they were very nervous about just four weeks ago.
“You do talk to other folks who aren’t as invested in a Democratic victory, those persuadable voters in focus groups that you do. What are you hearing from your latest focus groups?” inquired Keilar.
“They want to know more about Harris. They want to know where she stands on the issues, the two issues that matter to them most. Affordability — notice I didn’t say inflation. What is she going to do for food, fuel, housing, health care? And number two is immigration. But it’s wider than that. It’s crime, it’s a sense of public safety. And on these things, they’re looking for specifics,” answered Luntz.
He continued:
She’s had the best launch that I’ve seen in my career. You have to go back to a time that I don’t remember. It’s Wendell Wilkie in 1940 who’s someone who’s taken the country by storm. But that’s still not enough. And you’re correct that it is- the difference is so minuscule between Trump and Harris. But that’s why these two nights, tonight and tomorrow night are so important.
She’s seeking to define yourself. Not just her personality, not just character traits and attributes, but on the issues that matter most to the voters. We know where Donald Trump stands. And in case after case, Trump does better on the issues than he does in his persona. Her, she does better in her character traits and her persona than she does on the issues. The next 48 hours will determine how much of a bump she can get, and whether or not she leaves the convention with a meaningful advantage over the former president.
Watch above via CNN.
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