New polling shows J.D. Vance is a failure for Trump because Democrats have successfully defined him to voters.
Semafor reports new data:
There was a major shift in how interviewees viewed Vance: He became increasingly identified with his own unique brand of conservatism rather than his celebrated biography as a writer, veteran, and politician. In August, when presented with a list of options to describe Vance, the most common answers were “conservative,” “anti-women” and “weird,” while more positive options like “young,” “smart” and “Businessman” dropped from July. The share calling him “extreme” jumped 13 points.
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Of the statements provided, participants were most aware of the “cat lady without child” rhetoric, with 50% of respondents saying they had heard of it and 55% saying they were troubled by it. Scores worse, but is less famous: In a 2021 interview with Spectrum News, he defended Texas’ abortion law’s lack of exceptions for rape and incest, saying pregnancy in such circumstances would be “inconvenient.” .
The data shows that the Democratic message that J.D. Vance is a weird extremist has worked. Vance was defined as an odd man whose positions were at odds with most Americans.
Another plus for Vance is his running mate and Trump The campaign did not defend him. Trump made it clear that Vance was unimportant and irrelevant.
Trump has been sending J.D. Vance across the country because he can’t be bothered to campaign, which turns into a bad strategy as Democrats turn off voters by defining the senator from Ohio as a bizarre extremist.
The more Donald Trump brings Vance out, the more damage it will do to his campaign.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of Society of Professional Journalists and American Political Science Association
