Staff Reports
Amidst the political hoopla and hullabaloo, it appears the American people have finally decided they’d prefer almost anyone over the possibility of a Kamala Harris presidency. According to a new poll, Joe Biden’s favorability rating has sunk lower than the veep’s for the first time ever, stirring up concerns within the White House about his chances in 2024.
-GWN
Even Kamala Harris now viewed more favorably than Joe Biden as Dems panic over dismal ‘24 polls https://t.co/ZkP4NmHBNR— Cornelius Duncan (@corndnc12) December 18, 2023
The Monmouth University survey slapped the 81-year-old Biden with a measly 34% approval rating, the lowest in the poll’s history, plummeting 20 percentage points from its peak in April 2021. To add insult to injury, a whopping 61% disapprove of his presidential performance.
Kamala Harris, known for her less-than-stellar approval ratings, managed to scrape together a 35% approval rating and a 57% disapproval rating. While these numbers aren’t exactly off-the-charts, they’re practically glowing when stacked up against her boss’s abysmal stats.
Even independents, whose support is crucial in any election, have deserted him. His approval among this crucial voting bloc has plummeted to a dismal 24%, down a staggering 14 points from July.
Adding insult to injury, a vast majority of Americans, a whopping 69%, think Biden’s handling of the immigration crisis is about as effective as a one-legged chicken in a hopping contest. And if that wasn’t enough, another 68% disapprove of his strategy for tackling inflation.
It seems that despite the administration’s rosy rhetoric about their big infrastructure plans and positive economic signs, most folks aren’t buying it. While the data might say one thing, most Americans are still feeling the sting of post-pandemic inflation, and that’s what’s really swaying public opinion.
Meanwhile, back at the White House, Biden’s putting on a brave face in public, insisting that he’s totally winning in hypothetical rematches against that pesky Donald Trump. But behind closed doors, it’s a different story. The prez reportedly had a bit of a wobbly during a recent meeting with his closest advisors, lamenting his rock-bottom poll numbers and demanding to know what’s being done about it.
Even other Democrats are feeling the jitters, such as Michigan’s Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who’s wringing her hands over her chances of winning the state’s Senate seat with Biden at the top of the ticket. And it seems Biden himself isn’t exactly gung-ho about a re-election bid, confessing at a fundraiser near Boston that if Trump wasn’t running, he’d probably be chilling on a beach somewhere.
With the Democratic coalition scattering like a flock of startled pigeons, it’s clear they need a game plan, pronto. But at a recent meeting in Chicago, Biden’s allies reportedly laid out a strategy that left everyone feeling about as lost as a clown in a fog. Even David Axelrod, former Obama campaign manager, is feeling pessimistic, giving ol’ Joe a 50-50 shot at best for re-election.
And while Biden’s camp is trying to spin a narrative of hope, such as their impressive fundraising numbers and a few off-year election wins, it seems like they’re fighting an uphill battle. They might want to brace themselves for a rough ride.
