A stunning revelation has taken the political world by storm. Joe Biden’s decision to opt-out of his pursuit for the Democratic presidential nomination for 2024 has thrown the upcoming race into chaos. His longstanding unfavorability in public opinion surveys seems to have impacted his call. Since the end of last year, existing records indicate Biden’s disapproval has continually outnumbered approval. Americans approving his performance over the past year barely scrape a third.
Looking back at the early part of his presidency, Biden wore a cloak of momentary popularity. His approval ratings managed to match those seen by several of his recent predecessors around the 100-day mark of their terms. Yet, let’s not forget, his approval rate was a staggering 20 points larger than Donald Trump’s at a similar juncture in his presidency. An inflated state, evidently unsustainable, with Biden’s present-day approval stuck in the gutter. It’s a stark contrast, to say the least.
So, you may wonder, what brought about this plummet from grace? The initial stages of Biden’s presidency marked some momentary breakthroughs – the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and deployment, also the approval of a hefty $2 trillion coronavirus economic aid package. But, in reality, those brief victories faintly echo. The disorderly retreat of U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan in August 2021 stains his presidency.
Arguably, the Afghanistan catastrophe culminated in a shift in the perception of Biden’s presidency. With that shambolic withdrawal, only about 26% of Americans, scarcely half of the Democratic and Democratic-leaning population, claimed the administration excellently or adequately managed the situation. A pandemic twist soon followed this mishap, introducing a new COVID-19 variant and related surge. With it, the highly anticipated ‘return to normal’ was forced to wait in the wings again.
Subsequent to these events, Biden’s comprehensive job approval ratings suffered a decisive 11 point drop, from 55% to 44%, between July and September 2021. A fall from which it has never recovered. Trust in Biden’s handling of crucial affairs followed the same depleted path. His failure in reigning the crises shows in the public’s lack of faith in his leadership.
Furthermore, Biden’s age and competency was an issue since his first presidential campaign. By August 2020, about one-third of Biden’s advocates expressed their apprehensions regarding his age and wellness, stating these as possible deterrents in his competence to serve the nation. However, was age really the only concern or a cover for the lack of trust in his abilities?
Trump aced the ‘mental sharpness’ test against Biden in the weeks leading to the 2020 elections. Despite public opinion finding Biden more honest or compassionate than Trump, and even a better role model, it was Trump who was thought to be at peak mental integrity when it mattered. Yes, the preference was indeed clear.
Mental sharpness being a rare quality naturally diminishes with age, but Biden’s situation seems to be one for concern. The proportion of voters who considered Biden mentally sharp degraded with the passage of time. Votes for Biden as the ‘mentally sharp’ candidate fell from 53% in March 2021 to a mere 33% two years later. And even that reduced further to 24% after his performance in the June 2023 debate. Quite the decline isn’t it?
This development is evident from the voters’ description of other personal characteristics related to his age. For instance, was he deemed rightful to be labeled as ‘energetic’? Their response was not convincing. In January, only 24% of Americans perceived Biden as energetic, marking a considerable 16-point slump from 2020. Age, it seems, made its toll known.
Towards 2024, Biden fell behind Trump in several national polls. Four percentage points, as indicated in our latest survey, could jeopardize the Democrats’ prospects—though overcoming such challenges is not unprecedented. Yet, the alarm bells are ringing loud with widespread concerns among Biden’s supporters themselves regarding his age, health, and most crucially, his ability to outdo Trump.
From the outset of his campaign back in 2020, a considerable amount of Biden’s backing was rooted in who he was not, rather than who he was. In a survey asking why voters supported Biden, the overwhelming shout back was a simple ‘He is not Trump.’ As time progresses, this rather superficial support of Biden is gradually evaporating.
As a result of this lackluster fight, the 2024 election was gearing up to be a record battle for all the wrong reasons. Not only because of the advanced age of the two forerunners but more so due to the historically high proportion of Americans who disliked both. About a quarter of the population are dubbed ‘double negatives,’ having a disapproval for both candidates.
Polls this April showed nearly half of registered voters (49%) wanted both nominees replaced on the ballot. Moreover, Biden’s supporters were found to be more likely to desire this than Trump’s. It appears, Biden’s supporters start off more doubting than loyal, with the doubt overshadowing any remnants of confidence post his lackluster showing in the June 27 debate.
Furthermore, public sentiment post this debate added fuel to the fire. Come early July, 71% of Biden-backing voters wanted both candidates replaced. This analysis from the Pew Research Center offers a look at public opinion of Joe Biden’s presidency as a backdrop to his resignation from the 2024 presidential race, and the data points towards a rapidly declining faith in his ability to lead.
Joe Biden Steps Down from 2024 Presidential Race appeared first on Real News Now.
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