More than a year out from the presidential election, Democrats and President Joe Biden’s team should heed a three-decade-old cautionary message from one of their own, James Carville. The Democratic strategist had famously underlined “It’s the economy, stupid” during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
President Biden’s economic policies, colloquially referred to as “Bidenomics,” have proven to be disastrous for the average American, as shown by a recent CBS News poll. The poll reveals that Biden’s overall approval rating is at its lowest in his presidency at 40 percent, while his approval rating on the economy sinks even lower to 34 percent.
With persistent inflation and steep gas prices, everyday reminders of the economic impact are hard to ignore for Americans, pointing to a leadership misstep. This discontent is reflected in the CBS survey where only 13 percent claimed to be “getting ahead” financially, while 35 percent reported falling behind.
While staunch supporters and the media may overlook the revelations about corruption in the presidential family, the influx of illegal immigrants, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, China’s appeasement, Biden’s support for taxpayer-funded abortions, and his party’s contentions about gender fluidity, the common American bearing the brunt of “Bidenomics” has no such luxury.
This economic discontentment does not bode well for Biden’s re-election prospects. By comparison, his predecessor, Donald Trump, presided over a flourishing economy, bolstered by his growth policies, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite enjoying the backing of a biased mainstream media, Biden’s approval rating hovers at a mere 40 percent. This indicates that Americans are looking past the media’s rosy portrayal, spelling trouble for the Biden administration and Democrats hoping for success in the upcoming elections.
Whether the Republican candidate turns out to be the frontrunner Trump or another contender, American voters will have a clear choice in the 2024 polls. Reconsidering the phrase “It’s the economy, stupid,” they will need to decide whether the country can afford another four years of a beleaguered and ideologically extreme administration. The answer, quite literally, is no.