A striking new Harvard Youth Poll reveals that Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance has a remarkably low favorability rating of just 18 percent among voters aged 18 to 30. In a shocking comparison, the analysis suggests that his popularity is on par with “herpes,” highlighting the significant depths of voter disapproval.
With a 46 percent unfavorability rating, Vance’s appeal is considerably weaker than that of Donald Trump, who maintains a 31 percent favorability rating. This disparity highlights a troubling trend: nearly half of Trump supporters do not favor Vance.
The Bulwark’s editor, Johnathan V. Last, juxtaposed this data with an Elon University poll revealing that 27 percent of North Carolina women hold a favorable view of the controversial gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson.
The analyst noted that Vance’s reception mirrors the phenomenon of “X-Pac heat” in pro wrestling, where audiences boo not just for the character’s actions but out of a genuine dislike for the performer. Last points out that if polls had included unpopular figures like the Taliban, Vance might not have fared much better in public perception.
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“This Harvard poll did not test favorability ratings for the Taliban, or Vladimir Putin, or herpes,” Last wrote. “If they had, I’m sure all three would have been less popular than JD Vance. But not by much.”
