Democrats are lining up to discuss their disappointment with President Joe Biden’s poll numbers, with the 80-year-old president also under fire after a bizarre, rambling news conference Sunday night in Hanoi, Vietnam.
“There’s just no enthusiasm,” Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester told The Hill over the weekend. “You have to worry about these poll numbers, that’s just the way it is.” There’s plenty of time to get them back on their feet. “Whether he can do it or not, I just don’t know, but it’s something to worry about,” he added.
Tester described the president as a “factor” in his own bid for re-election in 2024 in his deep red state.
A recent poll shows President Biden in a tough race with Donald Trump and the other Republican presidential candidates – and is six points behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Biden is narrowly trailing Trump, the GOP front-runner, 47 to 46 in a new CNN/SSRS poll. That’s in line with poll averages like one from RealClearPolitics that has Biden ahead of Trump by a percentage point.
A new CNN poll puts Biden behind Trump, Pence, Scott, Ramaswamy, Christie and Haley and tied with DeSantis
An unnamed Democratic senator told The Hill that voters are “apathetic” to Biden’s 2024 campaign. This senator said the recent polls reflect conversations they’ve had with voters about the president.
“There’s just no enthusiasm.” It basically comes down to: “He’s done a pretty good job, but he’s just too old.”
Biden’s age is coming back into the spotlight after his rambling speech in Vietnam, when his news conference Sunday night suddenly ended because his microphone was cut off and he heard jazz music blasting from the stage.
Biden was in the middle of a conversation, answering questions from reporters, when he was interrupted and forced to shuffle away and go backstage.
“We talked about stability, we talked about the third world, excuse me, the southern hemisphere has access to change. “It wasn’t confrontational at all…” Biden said as he continued.
Suddenly the booming voice of his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, could be heard.
‘Thanks to you all. This ends the press conference. Thank you everyone,” she said as she ended the press conference.
Former President Donald Trump leads President Biden 47-46 in a new CNN poll
Haley, 51, has been at the forefront of attacks on Biden’s age, saying the 80-year-old president is unfit and won’t be alive until 2028
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives at an Iowa State wrestling tailgate Saturday before the Cy-Hawk football game at Jack Trice Stadium
Meanwhile, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado told The Hill he was “frustrated” that Biden’s numbers were so low despite a healthy economy.
‘[The voters] I think inflation is still running away. Inflation has risen from 9 percent to 3, now 3.5 percent. Relatively speaking, it is under control. “Now we’re not at 2 percent, but we’re pretty darn close,” Hickenlooper said.
‘What can you do? “You have to keep trying to find new ways to talk about it,” he said. “I think we need to find new ways to let people know that the reality of what we are seeing is nothing short of a miracle,” he continued.
Another Democratic senator, who was not named in the article, said voters are “obsessed” with the president’s age. “This is a guy who has done more than anyone half his age,” the senator said.
In more optimistic comments, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said there was still “work to be done” that would include “stronger messaging” and “more aggressive campaigns” but that it was “still very, very early.”
“The fundamental thing here is that elections are about decisions.” “When voters – if we’re six months before the election, then a year and a half – look at both Trump and Biden, even the people who like Trump’s results want to no more four years of Trump,” Blumenthal said.
“This election will be a fight. No question, it will be a fight and we must be prepared,” the Liberal senator concluded.
Democratic strategist James Carville joked last weeks that his wife had “switched me to rubber sheets” despite liberal demands to “stop wetting the bed.”
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana acknowledged Biden will play a role in his re-election in a deep red state
During a recent appearance on CNN, Democratic strategist James Carville acknowledged, “The polls aren’t great.”
“Jim Messina said Democrats need to stop wetting the bed, but my wife has already switched me to rubber sheets,” he joked.
In a previous appearance on MSNBC, Messina, President Barack Obama’s campaign manager in 2012, pointed out that the popular president had plummeted in the polls in 2011.
“I just think Democrats need to take a deep breath and realize that the polls are going to be bad for a while, like they did for Barack Obama, and will be next year when it’s Trump versus Biden “We will win this race again,” said Messina.
In an interview with NBC News, Democratic pollster Matt Barreto said voters aren’t saying, “I hate Joe Biden and I think I have to vote Republican.” They’re just saying they’re frustrated about some issues.”
“We think if we completely sell the Biden plan and the Democrats’ plan, more of these frustrated voters will side with us rather than give Trump and other Republicans a chance,” Barreto said.
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Biden’s team should focus on the president’s accomplishments.
“Prices are falling.” All trends are moving in the right direction. “So I strongly believe that things will change when people start to feel the benefits of these initiatives in their daily lives,” said Van Hollen.
Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio insisted that former President Donald Trump can return to the White House in 2024
On the other side of the aisle, one-time Trump rival-turned-ally Sen. JD Vance of Ohio claims it’s a myth that the former Apprentice host can’t win the presidency again in 2024.
“There is this strange idea that is widespread in this building — I hate to say it to too many of my Senate colleagues — that we will lose the presidential election if Trump is the nominee,” the author said.
“Look, it won’t be easy. I won’t pretend it is. But I think he has a very good chance of becoming president again,” he added.
Other Republican contenders are doing slightly better in head-to-head matchups against the incumbent president, although those in the lead, like Trump, are within the poll’s margin of error of 3.5 percent, meaning a close race.
The exception is Haley, who leads Biden 49 percent to 43 percent. Haley, 51, has been at the forefront of attacks on Biden’s age, saying the 80-year-old president is unfit and won’t be alive until 2028.
Biden is tied with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 47, trails former Vice President Mike Pence 46-44 and trails South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott 46-44.
Newcomer and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy leads Biden 46-45 and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie leads Biden 44-42 in a poll of registered voters.
The divide between those who vociferously defend Trump, like Ramaswamy, is similar; DeSantis, who said he would consider pardoning the Jan. 6 defendants; and Pence and Christie, who have criticized Trump over his efforts to overturn the election.
However, Haley is not performing well in the polls compared to his fellow Republicans. The RealClearPolitics average is just 6 percent.
“We all know that Joe Biden believes he’s going to run and win this election and then he’s going to hand it over to President Kamala Harris,” Haley claimed on Fox News Wednesday night.
She said she would “stomp on Joe Biden” in a match. Then she said, “Everyone really needs to know that I’m running for president against Kamala Harris.”
Trump’s continued performance in polls could leave behind opponents who say he is not as electable as they are because of his numerous indictments and criminal proceedings.