A serious question; Why are Biden's poll numbers so low?

[jg10003]

By any objective measure Biden has been a very successful president. The economy is doing well and he has passed many bills that have a direct and positive impact on people's lives. So why is his approval rate at 38%?

IMHO I think it's inflation. I spent $12 at McDonald's for a meal that was $7 not too long ago. $100 dollars at the supermarket doesn't buy much. No matter how good the economy is, when inflation is high people get angry.

But there might be other reasons; personality, age, ineffective messaging. I'm not saying any of these are the reason, I'm just suggesting possibilities. It's a question that must be answered if we are to defeat TFG and preserve democracy.

[mucifer]

1. They are better at messaging than we are.

[Poiuyt]

6. I think this is the answer

The right wing has been very effective about smearing our candidates -- from swiftboating John Kerry to the decades long campaign against Hilary Clinton to the notion that Biden is too old. Biden's age thing is difficult to defend against because, well frankly, he is old.

[betsuni]

17. It's not that they're better but that it's easier -- a tiny tent homogenous base that only hears what it wants to.

Repeat the same culture war slogans, done. They have horrible communication skills, word salads half the time, constantly misspeak, can't govern, horribly flawed candidates and campaigns. Succeed in spite of themselves because their base isn't ever going to vote for Democrats, Republicans don't have to worry about being voted out for failing (unless primaried from the right) so it doesn't matter what they do or say.

Democrats have a very diverse big tent party, impossible to please everyone. The Biden administration is doing a fantastic job!

[Turbineguy]

21. They have more skill as liars.

[ms liberty]

58. Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay. How do you feel about pizza?

[msongs]

2. grocery store prices. rinse and repeat. nt

[Chuuku Davis]

40. Grocery store prices

Car insurance
Automobile tires and batteries
My electricity bill
Etcetera, etcetera as Yul Brynner said in "The King and I".

They are all up over 30% in the last 3 years and it is hurting me.

[senseandsensibility]

3. Basically IMO it's a well funded rightwing

smear campaign permeating social media and more traditional media to a lesser extent. And I do think that the Biden campaign is slow to respond to this new world where so many do not have the attention span or desire to really learn about the issues. It's a frustrating and dangerous situation that has been decades in the making.

[womanofthehills]

11. Younger generation-

Dead kids imagines on their phones everyday.


Polls have Kennedy, Stein and West taking points away from Biden. State polls have larger numbers of people voting
“Other” -

https://www.270towin.com/2024-presidential-election-polls/

[Cha]

20. Fuck the 34e Party Lying Gaslit Crock OF SHIT.

FUCK THEM TO HELL.

[Demsrule86]

43. It won't happen and Kennedy is no Democrat...word is he will run as a libertarian and

has renounced his stance on climate change...Biden got plenty of votes in Iowa and also South Carolina...also we won a seat in the Florida legislature during this period...we took it away from Republicans...flipped it.

[WarGamer]

4. With the rules of this forum... I'm not sure if this is a venue to answer this question.

[Kingofalldems]

13. And what rules are you posting about?

[oldsoftie]

57. You are correct. Bring up what bothers voters & you'll get "post removed"

I've seen it long ago already.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Look at the bright side.

You don't want to peak too soon. And they've nowhere to go but up, all other things being equal.

[oldsoftie]

60. Correct! Most voters dont really pay attention until October.

[Beausoleil]

7. Well, I hope the coming fascist dictatorship

will get the price of eggs down below $2/doz.

In reality, most folks have no idea what kind of job Biden is doing because they don't hear about it from Fox "News" or social media.
All they know is the price of eggs is too high.

[Emile]

16. Predatory Capitalism

[Hope22]

8. Are they though? N/ t

[oldsoftie]

61. Yes they are. But its EARLY

[Buttoneer]

9. Conservative media. Do a google search on "economy", and all the headlines are

doom and gloom.
https://www.google.com/search?q=economy&sca_esv=e3ecc41a743fbe5d&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1028US1028&biw=1707&bih=945&tbm=nws&sxsrf=ACQVn08DgWye64DqiWEInjNZ_QIllWwreg%3A1707178069557&ei=VXjBZcfVIcOxptQP7dq_6Ac&ved=0ahUKEwiH1J3ztZWEAxXDmIkEHW3tD30Q4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=economy&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiB2Vjb25vbXkyERAAGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDGIMBMhEQABiABBiKBRiRAhixAxiDATIREAAYgAQYigUYkQIYsQMYgwEyCxAAGIAEGIoFGJECMgsQABiABBiKBRiRAjINEAAYgAQYigUYQxixAzIQEAAYgAQYigUYQxixAxiDATILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEyChAAGIAEGIoFGEMyCBAAGIAEGLEDSJoOUABYtApwAHgAkAEAmAGoAaABjweqAQMxLja4AQPIAQD4AQHCAgUQABiABMICDhAAGIAEGIoFGLEDGIMB&sclient=gws-wiz-news

[Alliepoo]

10. I absolutely agree with Msongs

Grocery prices. They hit hard and folks vote with their wallet. No way to escape the high prices. Most folks don’t have the time or means to shop here and there to find sale prices. Biden needs to address this yesterday. Even if he can’t do much about high prices he should be relentless in hammering the message home as to why they’re high and what he’s willing to do to change things. Housing prices are crazy, too. See above advice. Plenty of media savvy folks that can craft these messages for his administration. He needs to let people know that their pain and hardship is seen and is being addressed.

[RobinA]

65. Could Not Agree More

Both as to grocery prices, housing, and I would add cars, and the lack of comment by the administration. I happen to like Biden and don't blame him for worldwide inflation post COVID. But Joe? Hello? Ya gotta acknowledge this issue that smacks most Americans in the face every time we walk into a store. The other side brings it up constantly and there's no response.

[nevergiveup]

12. Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump

Trump Trump -- all day long -- Trump Trump Trump Trump --every day 24/7-- Trump Trump Trump Trump -- radio, television, social media -- Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump -- "blacks are turning on Biden"--- Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump -- "Biden is old"-- Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump

[Rebl2]

23. Trump old

and senile

[RockRaven]

18. Because Americans are unhappy, anxious, stressed, scared,

and he's the incumbent.

[TexasDem69]

19. As others have mentioned

His age is a problem for some, the stock market is great but inflation is a real thing, and Biden isn’t Obama. And even on the stock market point, it’s great for your retirement portfolio that stocks are doing well, but that’s not money that goes into the average voter’s pocket today.

[LakeArenal]

22. Polls lately have Biden ahead.

One in PA that I recall without searching.

But I trust no polls anyway.

[Polybius]

34. Just one last week, and that's against a future felon

Yesterday's NBC News poll was brutal. 60% disapproval.

[Kingofalldems]

39. Here's one.

I guess you must have missed it.

https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/36923592/in-biden-vs-trump-match-up-one-candidate-widens-his-lead-in-new-poll-fueled-by-support-among-this-de

[oldsoftie]

59. 1 day ago; NBC shows Trump up by 5

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/nbc-poll-trump-increases-lead-over-biden-now-up-by-5-points-203589701770

But these national polls are meaningless. As I say over & over, the ONLY polls that matter are Ga, Wi, Mi, Pa, Nv & Az. And in Michigan you have a large Muslim population who are openly hostile to the President because of Israel. Even though they KNOW trump wouldnt be more Pro-palestinian!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/31/arab-muslim-voters-work-to-defeat-biden/

[LakeArenal]

73. Yes exactly.

[Polybius]

74. No, I saw it

That was the one I was referring to.

[Kingofalldems]

75. Doesn't say anything about a convicted Trump though.

[Johonny]

24. I think gone are the days a conservative will

Gave a favorable rating to any Democratic president. MAGA is a cult. Biden is starting with an impossible low starting point.

[rurallib]

25. They own all the media from social media to the local rags in towns of 1000

And they all toot the same message: economy bad, Biden sucks, we don't want Harris because she is black or Asian or a woman.

the constant reinforcement of the same message from coast to coast on social media, radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. pretty hard to fight against the constant, constant propaganda.

[LonePirate]

26. All Repubs and half of the Indies despise him. Then you have crybabies on the left not getting everything they want

He didn’t send a third round of COVID checks to people.

He forgave billions of dollars in student loan debt for thousands of people but not everyone received such forgiveness so they are mad.

He supposedly controls food prices and refuses to lower them to 1950s levels so people are mad.

He also rules over the entire construction industry which people thought was privately controlled yet he is refusing to build more affordable housing supposedly.

He supports a two state solution in the Middle East but somehow he’s a Zionist warmonger according to the Hamas terrorist sympathizers in this country.

Some people simply are impossible to please.

[betsuni]

31. Whining that Biden hasn't addressed prices, housing, whatever, when he and his administration have

not only addressed those issues, they've done things about them. Too much to ask to take a few moments to find these things out on the miraculous computer machine right in front of their faces rather than assuming Democrats aren't doing anything because they haven't fixed all of America's problems in three years.

As always, .

[B.See]

36. THIS! or what I call BRINGING KNIVES TO A GUNFIGHT

Fact. For the fanatically MAGA "religious" right Trump can do NO wrong. Profit personally from their campaign contributions? Fine with them. Convicted rapist? No problem. Divisive hate mongering demagogue? "He's right." Promises to be dictator for life, with complete immunity to 'do whatever he has the power to do'? ahhh, "who needs democracy"?

Trump said he could murder someone of 5th Avenue and get away with it.

Well, he was damn sure right about that because he's done FAR worse, to an estimated 300,000 - half a million unnecessary Covid deaths, yet they love him for it (I trust none of that number were someone dear to them).

The people he wants to deport are leaning toward him, or threatening not to vote because his good buddy Netanyahu is working to insure Trump's return by murdering Palestinians. A "win win" for that particular despot.

After all, it was TRUMP who further empowered him in the first fkng place.

Then we have those Black so-called "celebrities" who have "nothing but love" for him (who's paying them I sometimes wonder)

while his policies and GOP have taken food from the mouths of (mostly) Black children, have made cuts to assistance programs, have sought to undermine healthcare and family planning,

have rolled back Affirmative Action, Fair Housing, and Voting Rights, and currently work to erase Black history and literature from textbooks class instruction -

"Love" for the man who (as Kamala rightly observed) stoked hate and racism, empowered fascism, and called neo-Nazis "very fine people"

and whose VENOM now have Black people and other minorities under attack, Black children and other minorities assaulted in our schools, and the N-word screamed at them from the bleachers.

Yet they have "nothing by love" for him. (Too bad he doesn't love us in return.)

In short, it's because of a diverse array of various factions, each trying to nitpick President Biden apart for something they want, regardless of what's at stake,

while the lying, twice indicted, INSURRECTIONIST PSYCHOPATH has a devoted CULT FOLLOWING... for whom he can DO NO WRONG.

[Demsrule86]

47. If there is so much 'love' than why has he lost every election since 16? And is crushing

Trump's shitty numbers in the primary? The voting booth is way more predictive than phony polls with bad sampling and bullshit aggregation.

Data aggregation is the process whereby raw polling data is aggregated into historical poll data and stored in the database. And then it is further 'adjusted' to account for a host of different things...and at the end, more manipulation is often used to reach a certain conclusion...especially in paid polls.

[Groundhawg]

27. Probably not a popular opinion,

But I believe most of the media is on our side and are reporting low numbers for Biden in an attempt to really get out the vote.
I'm not worried.

[Mike Nelson]

28. Agree with your observations...

... and would also stress the "Media" as a reason. The right-wing media - FOX, Twitter, etc as expert at what they do. The so-called "Liberal Media" is not playing on the same field. They are either moderate or try to be "fair." The Conservative media has their goal defined, and it isn't to be "fair and balanced." There is no progressive counterpart... they will counterprogram, sure, but they do not have the same objectives. They try to present "both sides" too much... sometimes one side is simply wrong. FOX has their programming down to an art... attack Democrats, public education, immigrants, cities.... they don't have to stop and think, "Am I being fair to the opposing view?" They are very slick...

[LiberalFighter]

29. Selective polls are being used.

[Doodley]

30. The leadership doesn't fight like Republicans. Take what happened to Hillary Clinton, for example. She had

approval numbers in the 60s as secretary of state. She was one of the most respected politicians in America. The GOP redefined her as inept and dishonest over Benghazi and emails. Basically, she did nothing much wrong but Republicans worked together in an orchestrated way to elevate it so it dominated the news headlines every day, day after day, week after week, month after month. Any casual observer would think she was worse than a baby killer. That's how we ended up with Trump.

Donald Trump tried to destroy American democracy, and there is less outrage, less fury, less noise, and less passion expressed by senior democrats than Republicans showed about Hilary Clinton's alleged wrongdoings. FFS, Biden should be thirty points ahead after what Trump did. There should have never been a day in which Trump's treachery wasn't called out and screamed about from the rooftops by every senior Democrat. Instead, he has been normalized. It isn't inflation. It is about taking a penknife to a gunfight, and the price to pay could be that we wake up one morning and we are living under a dicatorship.

[Demsrule86]

46. Stop blaming Democrat leadership...lend a hand. Get our the vote...nobody should sit

on their hands and expect others to save this democracy...not saying you do...a general comment. You want to win get involved.

[Bucky]

32. We ask this about every Democratic president. Republicans routinely engage in character assassination for every Dem prez

This is the only thing they know how to do. Lie, distort, insinuate Satanic and traitorous intentions on the part of every Democrat who gets the nomination. They did it to Obama, both Clintons, Kerry... hell, I remember character attacks on Lee Hart appearing in the National Inquirer back in 1984, "revealing" that she had a secret plan to become an American Evita Peron and commandeer the White House through the year 2000. You gotta admit: Republican opposition tactics may be a one-trick pony, but it's one hell of a pony!
Besides, what do you want them to do... run on their ideas?!

[doc03]

42. I think Democrats have pretty much thrown the kitchen sink at Trump

but we don't have Faux, Newsmax and 100s of right-wing AM talk stations. It is just much harder to
make anything stick.

[Polybius]

33. Age, some of it being agism, some of it concern

If he were 10 years younger, I don't think his poll numbers would be as bad. Charisma is another issue.

[edhopper]

37. The Media

Follows the Right Wing narrative.

[Tribetime]

38. You are correct in my opinion..I do residential repair work

And see all kinds of people and the one common thread of almost everyone is inflation JMHOpinion

[doc03]

41. I think inflation is number one, just one example my electric bill for February 2022 was 234.54 for

1832 KWH. In January this year my electric bill was 370.40 for 1836 KWH. That is a 58% increase in two years.
Probably next is the border. Then talk about Biden's age along with their campaign to discredit VP Harris.

[Demsrule86]

45. There is no real inflation. Those of us who are old enough to remember real inflation know

this is greedflation. I am with NOPEK in Ohio and my bill is down. If you have a choice, and especially if you have a co-op for gas or electricity, you can save money. Wages are also up you know way up where I live in Ohio.

[doc03]

68. I got a $50 a month raise on My SS and my electric bill went up $136. That is just one example

the Dish, internet, water, food, garbage collection, insurance, gas, clothing are all up. I remember the late 70s
it wasn't any different from now, it was inflation then and now. I also have to pay more taxes on my SS because
the threshold for tax on SS hasn't been increased in 40 years. I am not blaming Joe Biden for inflation just stating the
fact inflation is probably the number one issue.

[Demsrule86]

44. I don't think based on the only poll that matter, Bidens poll numbers are low...the polls are

a bunch of crap mostly and mixed at best. Biden got more than 90% of the Democratic vote in South Carolina while Trump got less than 50% of the Republican vote. And yet the media calls Trump's shitty performance a great win while talking about how Biden is doomed...doomed I tell you. It is complete bullshit.

[DemocraticPatriot]

48. My answer---

https://democraticunderground.com/100218656056

'Prices' are still high, but "inflation" no longer is high (inflation being the rate at which prices are increasing).

As well as gasoline prices decreasing, I have seen some grocery prices falling--- a little
(especially eggs have gone way down from a year ago)

[bigtree]

49. he just won SC with 96% of the vote

...Emerson, the best pollster in the state, had him consistently at about 60%.

They were off by an astounding 30%, but, polls right?

Wtf are we still talking about polls?

[AcrossThePacific]

50. Optics.

Joe Biden has turned out to be, as you say, quite successful by any objective measure. Unfortunately, he is also possibly the most poorly-spoken person to hold the job since at least the end of World War II. (While obviously streets ahead of Dubya and Trump in terms of pure intellect, my observation is that in the past few years he has begun to have an even harder time than they did at articulating himself.)

Of course this sort of thing shouldn't matter, but the sad reality is that it does. Even with speeches that are excellent in content, Biden simply stammers too often, stumbles over too many words, needs to stop and repeat himself too many times, to deliver them effectively.

Solutions? Well, I saw it mentioned recently that a different part of the brain is used to express anger, and this speech issue does indeed seem to be kept to a minimum when Biden is lashing out at repugnant displays such as Trump's "suckers and losers" comment. So... the key is for him to maintain the rage, I guess?

[betsuni]

51. In all the other countries experiencing inflation, do they blame the prime minister or president?

In any other country is there a party as dysfunctional as the American Republican Party and its supporters?

"But there might be other reasons, personality, age, ineffective messaging. ... I'm just suggesting possibilities." How? What personality problems? What ineffective messaging? Republican candidates have great personalities and great messaging and aren't old? Could you please explain?

[brooklynite]

62. Answer Yes.

Thinks of how many countries have held elections in the past year which resulted in growth in right-wing political parties.

[MichMan]

76. Are you saying that if a Republican was in office, people here wouldn't be blaming them for it?

We would be doing the exact same thing and then some. The current President always gets blamed; that's just how it is.

[GreenWave]

52. Perpetual Fox lying about the economy. Blaming Biden for GOP loving businesses

and their greed.

[Murphyb849]

54. Consider the source

White people
Older people
People who actually have land lines and answer an unknown caller.
Skewing Republican.

The only poll that matters is on Election Day.

[Raven123]

55. It's multifaceted

1) loss of local news media
2) rise of electronic and social media with their “push” philosophy that shovels skewed information/misinformation
3) people don’t fact check and if they try #1 & #2 make that difficult
4) polling is an industry itself. Never ending, lazy and limited sampling that explode with media panic.

[Think. Again.]

56. It may have something to do...

...with the fact that statistics are notoriously easy to manipulate and the republican party has no hesitation in dishonestly developing polls that result in bad numbers for Biden?

[Vinca]

63. When I hear these polls, I wonder to myself if the pollsters start looking for people to

ask opinions of by yelling "Who here is an idiot?" Yesterday's poll that Steve Kornacki was breathlessly reporting was one of the dumbest ones yet. They trust Trump over Biden on the economy??????

[samnsara]

64. who here has been polled? Not me....

..and I answer every call just to make sure I dont miss a pollster. I have a landline I use exclusively but sometimes a call comes thru on my cell.... and I wont answer that. So maybe its the way polls are gathering data. or reporting it.

Cuz I myself am seeing virtually NO trump signs in fields that were covered with them the last 2 elections.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

69. Propaganda from FAUX NOISE.

Also look to the media in general not MSNBC.

The other media outlets are not telling the truth because there is NO MONEY in telling the truth.

[Basic LA]

70. He's seen as too old.

He's judged & mocked by the low-information (or dis-information) public by the shakey way he walks & talks. Not by what he actually says or does or stands for. It's a bummer & it's childish, but people can be superficial & cruel.
The only mitigating factor is who he's up against.

[Norbert]

71. He fell off a bicycle..

And over a sandbag plus he started to go offstage in the wrong direction. So now he is feeble and deep in the throws of dementia. I hear this all the time.

This is the basis for voting for the stench that thinks he is running against Obama.

[spanone]

72. Media.

[LudwigPastorius]

77. A serious answer: Inflation

...which is in the rear view mirror, and which has nothing to do with Joe's performance as president, but people are slow to snap to recent economic developments, and quick to blame the president.

[LiberalFighter]

78. Oversampling of certain groups.

Keep in mind that about 5 million voters 65 and older will be dead by election that voted for Trump. That doesn't include those that died from Covid. Mostly Republicans.

The demographics are not the same each state. The polls are national not state polls. If the election was decided by the popular vote it would be different.

If most of the responders were in leaning right or all red in the polls it would be slanted too.

[snot]

79. Possibilities

1. Despite the insane stock market valuations, most people I know are still struggling financially. Our actual incomes are not keeping up with real inflation in the things we need most: housing, food, health care. (Imho, many of our economic woes began with the bank bail-outs after the 2008 crash, and we seem to have been ruled by Wall St. – to their benefit and most of our detriment – ever since.)

2. Proliferating warfare. Whether we understand all the complexities or not, within a relatively short period, we've involved ourselves in a lot of warfare resulting in a whole lot of death and destruction as well as a whole lot of expense to the US – to the point that many of us literally fear we're on the brink of WWIII – and with little or no certain benefit to anyone.

3. Censorship (see the Twitter files et al.). A lot of us still believe in free speech and the free marketplace of ideas.

You may not like these answers, but speaking as a half century-long Democrat voter who's not happy with the party's actions going back to and including those of Pres. Clinton, I don't think the party can afford to continue to ignore them.