(yes, also among republicans, see the recent ballot measures in Missouri on paid sick leave and higher minimum wage, for example)

this IS true, but it is not true among left leaning candidates. Just look at florida. People are way too functionally stupid to do anything in line with what they actually want.

I believe there is even some older data to support this, something along the lines of "people like welfare they don't know they're paying for, but when they know they're paying for it, they don't want to"

It’s not the fact that the Harris campaign asks us to pretend everything is hunky spunky with the economy,

as far as economic measures go, it is. Inflation is still fucking people over, but the popular sentiment sort of lags the economy. But just because inflation is brutal on goods, doesn't mean that inflation is high, or that the economy is "struggling" it's just that people don't feel good about rising tides. Until they start to lower. (which they can't do)

it's just a human psych thing.