Judging by what we have seen from Democratic presidents over the last 40 years, particularly under Obama, the NYT doesn't need to say it. We can assume that Harris will rule as a conservative if elected; the unfortunate side effect of rampant campaign funding from billionaires, who expect a return in their investments.

these polls, which ask only about labels and perceptions, tell you much more about the fuzziness—perhaps even meaninglessness—of those labels than about how well either party’s policy positions align with voters’ interests, and what positions candidates ought to take in order to best represent those voters’ interests. Responsible pollsters would ask about actual, concrete policies in the context of information about their impact; otherwise, as former Gallup editor David Moore has pointed out (FAIR.org, 2/11/22), they merely offer the illusion of public opinion.

Very important point to make- the rhetoric from the Right has been a non-stop chorus of "far-left", "fringe-left", "radical left", about centrist Dems, ever since Trump came to power. It's no wonder that the disinterested voter recalls those labels when not actually asked about policies.

When you ask about building unions, funding education, fixing the environment, lowering healthcare costs, and holding corporations to account, suddenly everyone lines up with Progressive positions.