CNN data reporter surprised by Kamala Harris' popularity rise since becoming a presidential candidate

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CNN data reporter surprised by Kamala Harris' increased popularity

CNN data reporter Harry Enten appeared surprised by VP Kamala Harris' increased popularity ratings since becoming a presidential candidate, noting that Harris now has a slightly positive favorability rating.

CNN data reporter Harry Enten seemed surprised on Wednesday by Vice President Kamala Harris' increase in popularity since entering the race, as she was historically unpopular as vice president prior to President Biden dropping out of the race.

"I just think that this is such dramatic movement, my goodness, gracious," Enten said, noting Harris had a net favorability rating of -14 points when she entered the race. "Just by getting into the race, look where she jumped to a month later, -3. And this week, for the first time, she popped a positive net favorability rating. That is more people viewed her favorably than unfavorably."

As of September 18, according to Enten, Harris has a +1 favorability rating, compared to former President Trump, who has a -9 favorability rating. Biden currently has a -14 rating, according to CNN's data reporter. 

"If you had asked me two months ago whether I thought Kamala Harris in the aggregate, would ever, during this campaign, pop a positive net favorability rating, I would have said you were crazy," Enten said. "But the fact is, you weren't crazy, I was just not thinking creatively," he added. 

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CNN's Harry Enten appeared surprised on Wednesday by VP Kamala Harris' favorability rating. (Screenshot/CNN)

"I think Harris' initial net favorability rating was kind of tracking with Biden’s, right, because she was the vice president. But as she has gone out on the campaign trail and become her own candidate, she has been able to pop this net positive favorability rating, and she is the only one of these three who are in positive territory," Enten added. 

Enten also noted that Harris was polling better against Trump than another generic Democratic candidate might be. 

"Right now, in the national popular vote polls, we see Kamala Harris up by three points. So she is actually outperforming slightly, but still is outperforming the generic House Democrats. So this to me is an idea that as she has gotten on the campaign trail, she’s not just met the generic benchmark, she‘s actually doing slightly better than the generic benchmark, which kind of goes into this whole thing that maybe Kamala Harris and her campaign know what they’re doing, despite the fact that folks don‘t like the economy," Enten said. 

Enten added that the economy is what was keeping the race close. 

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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Tonya Mosley, and Gerren Keith Gaynor, with moderator Eugene Daniels, at the WHYY studio in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. ( (AP Photo/Matt Rourke))

Enten warned on Monday that Harris was in the "danger zone" based on her chances of winning the electoral college.

"Harris' chances if she wins the popular vote by two to three points, that chance she wins the Electoral College is only 53%. The bottom line is, you have to get all the way north to about three to four points for Harris to have a clear, clear, clear chance, the majority, the clear majority chance of winning the Electoral College. If she only wins by less than two, look at that, only a 23% chance of winning," he noted.

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"Right now, Harris, is right now in that danger zone where, basically, about half the time, given the popular vote margin nationally, she would win," Enten added.