Majority of voters not keen on Indian-origin Harris as president: Poll
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Mar, 2023 11:52 AM
New York, March 2 (IANS) Even though US President Joe Biden has accidentally referred to Kamala Harris as President at least six times, a majority of voters are unenthusiastic about his Vice President's potential presidential run in 2024, according to a latest poll.
According to The Telegraph, Biden's Indian-origin second-in-command has struggled to gain traction among Democrats nationwide amid her poor public approval ratings.
But what shocks more is that the majority of these voters are from California -- a Democrat bastion and Harris' home state.
Between February 14 and 20, a poll conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Government Studies and The Los Angeles Times asked 7,512 registered voters about Harris running for President if Biden decided not to seek a second term.
It found that 59 per cent of registered voters were hesitant about Harris seeking the country's highest office.
Some 18 per cent said they were "not too enthusiastic" about the idea, and a clear plurality of 41 per cent said they were "not enthusiastic at all".
Only 16 per cent said they would be "very enthusiastic" about Harris taking on the role, while 21 per cent said they would be "somewhat enthusiastic". Four per cent of those surveyed gave no opinion.
Bringing some cheer to Harris, 56 per cent of Democrat voters said they would be keen on Harris' candidacy.
But what was an immediate dampener was that about 40 per cent of Democrats in her home state did not want to see her run in 2024.
A few Democrats have privately expressed concerns that Harris could prove a liability for the party, citing her struggles as a communicator, The Telegraph report stated.
They also think that Biden, 80, is too old to run for a second term by the end of which he would be 86.
Biden has not formally declared a run but speaking to NBC News at the Munich Security Conference last month, Harris said the US President "has said he intends to run for re-election and I intend to run with him as Vice President".
The latest poll also found Biden's approval rating improving in California, with him holding a 57 per cent yes and a 39 per cent no in the state.
India is working out evacuation plans for Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine through Romania, Hungary and Poland. The Foreign Secretary also stated that flight options will available from Dubai and Istanbul and the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
The Madhya Pradesh government said on Friday that 46 students from the state who registered with the Chief Minister's helpline are safe in Ukraine. However, it is not known exactly how many students from the state are stranded in the war-hit country.
The announcement came shortly after President Vladimir Putin authorised a "special military operation" in the conflict-hit Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Flights to Kiev, Dnepr, Lvov and Odessa airports "are restricted due to potential hazard for civil aviation
The United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday that the situation was quickly deteriorating after Russia's invasion. It appealed to neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to people seeking a safe haven.
There are an estimated 25,000 Indian students in Ukraine alone who are pursuing medicine, engineering, and science courses. More than 2,500 students from Tamil Nadu are estimated to be studying in Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary stated that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovakian counterparts for setting up a camp at border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals. He also stated that flight options are available through Dubai and Istanbul and that the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
