Do Republicans see Kamala Harris as easy to beat?

Republicans say Kamala Harris will be as easy to beat as Joe Biden.

Republicans have said for weeks that they don’t care who Democrats run against for president against GOP nominee Donald Trump. Whoever is on the ballot as a Democrat, they say, will have to defend the Biden administration’s policies.

“Kamala Harris has lied for years now about Joe Biden’s mental condition and America suffered for it. It’s time now for her to tell the truth and answer this one question: If Joe Biden is unfit for the campaign trail, then how is he fit for office?” said Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for the Trump-friendly MAGA, Inc.

Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, wrote on social media Harris “owns the entire left wing policy record of Joe Biden.”

Vice President Harris, the former California attorney general and U.S. senator, is the favorite to succeed President Biden, particularly after the president endorsed her shortly after he left the race Sunday.

Other potential Democratic candidates are largely unknown to the general public and for that matter to rank and file Republicans.

Two of the most prominent Democratic White House hopefuls, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have said they’re not running.

That’s put the spotlight on Harris. During the the GOP convention, speaker after speaker snarled that she was the ”border czar,” a reference to Biden putting her in charge of easing illegal immigration from Central American countries, a mission that appeared to have faded quickly from her policy portfolio.

Why GOP dislikes Kamala Harris

At the convention, Republicans from California, who saw her run and win three times statewide, don’t see her playing well on the national stage.

“The lady’s constantly angry and condescending and has a smug attitude when she smiles. She’s embarrassing to women,” said Linda Lopez-Alvarez, chairman of Escondido Republican Women.

“Ask the people in San Francisco other than Willie Brown if they like her,” said Mark Edwards, a real estate broker from Redlands. Brown, a former mayor and Assembly speaker, was Harris’ mentor. Harris is a former San Francisco prosecutor.

But outside of the state’s delegation, some Republicans warned that a candidate different than Biden could inject the Democratic Party with new energy, particularly when its national convention meets the week of August 19.

“I think so because she can start over,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., meaning she can offer new ideas and new energy.

Polls show Harris running slightly better than Biden against Trump.

A YouGov poll of likely voters July 16 to 18 showed Harris trailing Trump, 48% to 51%. Biden got 47% to Trump’s 52%.

Republican pollster Richard Cudahy warns that the election is far from over. The good news for Republicans, he said, is Trump fans “don’t care who’s running.”

Biden suffered because “people think he’s too old to be president, not because we’re selling our ideas,” Cudahy warned. “The election ain’t over till it’s over and we’re a long way from it being over.”

There’s also the wild card of who goes on the ticket with the presidential nominee, though ticket-mates rarely make a significant difference in the race’s outcome.

Optimistic Republicans

Regardless of who runs as a Democrat, Republicans around the county are optimistic that Trump can win.

“Any one of them,” said Debbie Epling, chairman of the Aiken County, S.C. GOP when asked who Trump would rather run against. “They all have the same policies,” she said.

The policy that bothers Republicans most is the economy. Their talking points echoed throughout the party’s convention.

“Before Biden we had the strongest economy in a decade, We had lower gas prices, more jobs and better opportunity,” said Michael Barnett, a Palm Beach County, Fla., commissioner.

“Our prices keep going up. If Biden had been for the people things would have been a lot better,” said Thelma Medina, a retired mortician from Idaho City.

The race is as much Republican vs. Democrat as Trump vs. Harris.

Ipsos Polling recently asked voters for their views on a list of potential Democratic candidates, including Newsom and Whitmer.

“None of the commonly mentioned alternatives does clearly better than Biden,” said Chris Jackson, Ipsos Polling’s senior vice president.