A large number of Democrats, who in 2020 saw Joe Biden as the “most capable” leader to become the US president are now gradually distancing themselves from his circle, because they feel increasingly vulnerable ahead of the November midterms as Biden’s approval rating is having a nosedive. Several Democrats even feel, extending support to Joe Biden or remaining within the circle of his supporters would drastically damage their political career.
According to media reports, a Gallup poll found that the mood of the nation is the worst it has been in any midterm election since 1974, the year the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Some analysts are saying, even though it is normal for a president’s party to lose seats in the midterm elections, Democrats could be looking at a larger than usual losses unless Biden can turn public opinion around, which analysts see as “mission impossible”.
According to The Washington Examiner report, “Democratic darlings Stacey Abrams and Sen. Raphael Warnock have recently released a slate of policy proposals on energy, crime, and abortion rights in an effort to energize their party’s base and turn the political conversation away from President Joe Biden’s dismal approval ratings and toward their plan for Georgians as they head into tough midterm matchups”.
The report adds:
Abrams, the gubernatorial candidate running against incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in a rematch of 2018, announced a multipronged plan on Thursday that includes pay raises for law enforcement officers and public school teachers if she wins. She also goes all-in on gun control, making it a central focus in her race as she seeks to turn crime into a liability for Kemp.
Abrams and Warnock, an at-risk Democrat running against former Georgia football standout Herschel Walker, have also stressed their support for codifying abortion rights ahead of the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade.
As Conservative Brief reported Friday, Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the nation’s highest court, which sent the issue back to states for them to decide in a 6-3 ruling.
The two Georgia Dems won’t be relying on an increasingly unpopular president to help them generate enthusiasm among voters. Rather, they are hoping their stances on some divisive issues will be enough to get voters to the polls.
“Abrams and Warnock know they’re extremely vulnerable given Biden’s low approval ratings”, Karen Owen, a University of West Georgia political scientist, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And they know they need to shift to bread-and-butter kitchen table issues like energy prices”.
Also in recent days, Warnock has not addressed questions directly regarding having Biden campaign with him.
“I know that the pundits are focused on the campaign”, he said. “I really am focused on serving the people of Georgia”.
According to the Examiner, “The president’s underwhelming performance has led to uncomfortable conversations about how much to lean on him as Democrats try to hold on to power. The Senate is currently deadlocked at 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote giving Democrats the majority.
“In the House, Republicans need to net only five seats in the midterm elections to win back the majority they lost in 2018”, the report continued.
In a number of swing states including Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and even New Hampshire, Democrats have shifted to running against Washington as a general rule, despite the fact that their party controls both legislative and policymaking branches.
“I’m running for reelection because you deserve a senator who will cut through the gridlock and dysfunction in Washington and deliver real results for your family”, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who has been in Congress for nearly six years, noted on her campaign website. “I’ll work with anyone — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — to help Nevada’s families succeed”.
The change in tone, and in some cases the Democrat sprinting away from Biden, comes amid historic gas and diesel fuel prices while the cost of food, housing, and other forms of energy have risen as well during a substantive period of inflation that took off after Biden was sworn in.
Critics have blamed Democratic spending packages as well as Biden’s anti-fossil fuel policies for much of the inflation, while the administration also deals with supply chain issues that have caused shortages of common items like baby formula and tampons.
“A Gallup poll found that the mood of the nation is the worst it has been in any midterm election since 1974, the year the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon”, the Examiner’s report continued.
“Even though it’s normal for a president’s party to lose seats in the midterm elections, Democrats could be looking at larger than usual losses unless Biden can turn public opinion around”, the report added.
“His public approval rating fell for a fourth straight week to 36 percent, matching its lowest level seen in May, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released Thursday. His overall approval rating has stayed below 50% since August”.
