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Democrats have to see Biden’s falling numbers with alarm
Biden’s latest approval rating is the lowest for any President in the last 15 years
Only 33 percent approve of Biden, a drop of four points since September 2023. / X/@POTUS
When the going is good political strategists and campaign managers will flaunt the numbers; and when sailing through rough waters the argument will be made that either polls do not matter or that it is still “very early” in the season.
Whatever it is, the latest approval rating of President Joe Biden must cause considerable alarm not just to campaign staff but to Democrats as well. An ABC News/ Ipsos poll conducted early January is showing that only 33 percent approve of Biden, a drop of four points since September 2023.
The incumbent Democrat has a disapproval rating of 58 percent, up two points from last September. And the kicker is this: only 28 percent believe that Biden has adequate mental sharpness and the same numbers believe that he is in good enough physical shape, a drop from 32 and 33 percent, respectively from last year.
By comparison the former President Donald Trump—seen as the main opponent in the 2024 Presidential election—polls better in mental sharpness and physical health at 47 and 57 percent respectively. The small comfort to the Biden team is that Trump too has seen a drop in these categories from last year that showed 54 and 64 percent respectively.
One aspect being pointed out by ABC News is that Biden’s latest approval rating is the lowest for any President in the last 15 years, since that of President George W Bush between 2006 and 2008; and has a lower approval numbers than President Trump.
“Looking back” on how Trump handled his job while being President, 41 percent approved, down from 48 percent last September; and the 45th President’s disapproval is at 53 percent, up from 49 percent last year.
On two fronts, the Biden campaign can express satisfaction: first, in the handling of the economy the President’s approval is up to 31 percent from 30 percent; and the disapproval rating has dropped eight points, from 64 to 56 percent.
Secondly, Biden comes away on top in the category of “honesty and trustworthy”—41 percent saying that this applies to the incumbent; and 26 percent only saying that this applied to Trump, a drop from 33 percent in May 2023.
The Biden campaign is well aware of the fact that this 2024 Presidential campaign is just not going to be run on the platform of “honesty and integrity”, where the Grand Old Party is already trying to dent the incumbent’s standing by trying to push through a process looking desperately to cobble together one or two articles of Impeachment even if knowing that the numbers do not add up for a conviction.
The Republicans in the House of Representatives are following the same worn our track that Democrats did in their two-time impeachment effort of President Trump. President Biden and his team know full well that they do not have the luxury of time for the November 5, 2024 election.
Whether it is Trump, a new GOP candidate, or a three-way race in case Trump decides to contest as an independent, the numbers do not speak positively for Biden. Forget the hypothetical match ups, President Biden has to look within his party to see if he has the numbers.
The person now sitting in the Oval Office cannot afford to have independents, progressives and minorities leave him in large numbers. Worse if they decide to sit at home on Election Day.
- Currently Editor in Chief, Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami was Special Correspondent of The Hindu and Press Trust of India in Washington D.C. covering North America and United Nations. He has covered the presidential elections of 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
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