No wonder Senate Democrats want to talk so much about the final days of the Trump presidency. There is little precious to them to celebrate about the present. About 54% of Americans expressed disapproval of Mr. Biden’s job in the Oval Office—a new high for his term in the RealClearPolitics average of opinion polls. Meanwhile just 42.3% of Americans approve of the president’s work.
This column will offer the general caveat that voting is not an exact science, if it is even a science. But Biden’s bad news in the poll landscape worries partisan Democrats.
Thomas Frank reports on the latest CNBC/Change Research poll, which found that 56% of respondents disapprove of Mr Biden:
Disappointment over the economy is the main culprit behind Biden’s flagging popularity as nearly every demographic has declared it their No. 1 issue.
The economy was a top priority for men and women, of every age group, Latino and white voters, and those with and without college education. Black respondents, who made racism their top priority, said the economy came second.
Sixty percent of the 1,895 respondents to the survey said they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy, marking a six-digit drop in approval since September.
On personal economic issues, voters are more likely to criticize the president. About 72% of people disapproved of their efforts to handle the cost of everyday items, while 66% disapproved of their efforts to help their wallet.
Even more ominous for Mr Biden – and the congressional Democrats who will face voters in November – some respondents saw inflation as transitory or offset by wage increases. According to Mr. Frank:
84 percent of those surveyed said they see prices for everyday items higher than they were a year ago, while just 19% reported earning more income in the same period. And only 23% say they believe inflation is starting to ease or will soon start to decline.
Susan Page reports similar findings in USA Today’s latest Biden poll:
His job approval rating in the poll is 40% approved versus 54% who disapprove, a slight improvement from the 38% approval rating he has in the November poll, but still higher than any other modern president in his term except Donald is less. Trump.
That may be one reason: Up to 62%-33%, pollers say Biden isn’t a strong leader…
What worries Americans about the economy? It’s not even close. 3-1, up to 71%-24%, those surveyed are more concerned about inflation than jobs.
Speaking of weak leadership, the president is now acknowledging the latest attempt by his party’s leftist to sabotage his beloved Senate rules in an attempt to seize partisan gains through federal takeover of election legislation. It follows his indulgence of a long, unsuccessful 2021 attempt to implement trillion-dollar progressive priorities through a partisan reconciliation process.
Yet after a year of aggressive federal encroachment, activists who should have been his steadfast allies are now openly turning to Biden. Holly Otterbein in Politico noted that “liberals are talking about treating him like former President Jimmy Carter … and mapping out a Democratic primary challenge in 2024.” She reports:
“Will there be a progressive challenger? Yes,” said Jeff Weaver, former presidential campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Weaver stressed that he is not advocating such a primary campaign. But chatter about a left-wing challenger to Biden, which, literally no week ago, suddenly surfaced publicly in the wake of the assassination of Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va) on the president’s climate and social spending bill.
“He’s deeply unpopular. He’s got old [expletive], He’s been largely ineffective, unless we’re counting judges or whatever the hell’s inside-baseball scorecards we’re using. And I think that will probably collapse in the mid-term,” said Corbin Trent, co-founder of progressive No Excuse Pac and former communications director of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D.N.Y.). “People will smell the opportunity, And DC is full of people who want to be president.”
Jealousy and intolerance are among the faults of the forgiving progressive left, but perhaps the greatest is ungratefulness.
Remember when inflation was fleeting?
Used car prices have been an area of intense inflationary pain for consumers lately. Considering the prices being paid by car dealers for used vehicles in the wholesale market, they may have to wait a little longer for relief. Consulting firm Mannheim reports:
Wholesale prices for used vehicles (on a mix-, mileage- and seasonally-adjusted basis) rose 3.1% in the first 15 days of December compared to the month of November. This brought the Mannheim Used Vehicle Value Index to 239.8, an increase of 48.9% from December 2020.
James Freeman is the co-author of “The Cost: Trump, China and American Revival”.
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