Pollster says Kamala Harris' attack on Tulsi Gabbard fell flat with voters
Pollster Lee Carter breaks down voter reaction to the fiery exchange
A group of voters were not impressed with Sen. Kamala Harris' attacks on Rep. Tulsi Gabbard during the fifth Democratic presidential debate, said pollster Lee Carter on Thursday.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" with host Ainsley Earhardt on Thursday, Carter said voter reaction for the tiff between the two outspoken 2020 Democratic candidates was mostly negative.
"You can see Democrats gave this a C, Independents a D, Republicans an F," she told Earhardt. "It wasn't necessary."
GABBARD ACCUSES HARRIS OF 'LIES AND SMEARS' IN FIERY DEBATE CLASH
Carter, the president of Maslansky & Partners, broadcast her "voter dials," which assess the real-time reactions to the debate from voters across the political spectrum, rating candidates' statements from A to F.
In response to Gabbard's defense of characterizing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's leadership as the "personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party," Harris said that if anyone on the stage was a poor reflection of the party, it was Gabbard herself.
"I think it's unfortunate that we have someone on the stage that is attempting to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States who during the Obama administration spent four years full time on Fox News criticizing President Obama," Harris said, referring to Gabbard.
She continued: "When Donald Trump was elected – not even sworn in – [Gabbard] buddied up to Steve Bannon to get a meeting with Donald Trump in the Trump Tower."
Gabbard responded that it was "unfortunate" Harris would "traffic in lies and smear and innuendos because she cannot challenge the substances of the argument that I am making."
"It only makes me guess that she will, as president, continue the status quo," she commented.
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Carter and Earhardt agreed that the attack did not "resonate" with voters.
"It seemed personal," she noted. "It's what it felt like and it didn't do anything for Kamala Harris."
"She did not have the best night," Carter concluded.
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