President Joe Biden is underwater by double digits on overall job approval, and Republicans lead Democrats on a wide array of issues, according to a devastating new national survey from NBC News. Some liberals and Biden supporters had questioned whether previous ugly polls from outfits like blue-leaning Quinnipiac were outliers, but the NBC survey would appear to kill that particular form of spin. Voters don't like what they're seeing from a president who campaigned on the promise of being truthful, competent, moderate, bipartisan, and unifying. That's not how the Biden presidency is playing out at all, and the displeased American people are noticing:
A majority of Americans now disapprove of President Joe Biden's job performance, while half give him low marks for competence and uniting the country, according to results from the latest national NBC News poll. What's more, the survey finds that 7 in 10 adults, including almost half of Democrats, believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction, as well as nearly 60 percent who view Biden's stewardship of the economy negatively just nine months into his presidency...In the poll, 42 percent of adults say they approve of Biden’s overall job as president — a decline of 7 points since August, with much of the attrition coming from key parts of the Democratic base. That’s compared to 54 percent who say they disapprove of the president’s job, which is up 6 points since August. Using Gallup’s historical data, Biden’s approval rating in this poll (42 percent) is lower than any other modern first-year president’s at a similar point in time, with the key exception of Donald Trump (whose approval averaged 37 percent in fall 2017).
Biden was (+14) in this series in April. In August, he was still above water, albeit barely. Now he's (-12). What about personal favorability? From NBC's write-up: "Finally, Biden’s favorable/unfavorable rating in the poll (40 percent positive, 48 percent negative) is almost identical to Trump’s in the same survey." That must sting. Biden's personal likability has taken a nose dive. Let's look at some specific issues:
The poll finds 40 percent of Americans approving the president’s handling of the economy (down 7 points since August), and 51 percent approving of his handling of the coronavirus (down 2 points). Maybe even more troubling for Biden, just 37 percent of adults give him high marks — on a 5-point scale — for being competent and effective as president, and only 28 percent give him high marks for uniting the country. By contrast, 50 percent give him low scores for being competent, and 51 percent give him low scores for uniting the country.
He's upside-down by 17 points on the economy. He's underwater by 13 points and 22 points, respectively, on leadership competence and fostering national unity. These quotes really say it all. The raison d'etre of a Biden presidency, and the core reasons behind his 2020 victory, lie in tatters at the moment, just nine months into his term:
Dem pollster Horwitt: “The promise of the Biden presidency — knowledge, competence and stability in tough times — have all been called into question”
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) October 31, 2021
Dem pollster Hart: “What people voted for was stability & calm. What they got was instability and chaos.” https://t.co/dtFiOfyDFX
Democrats should be grateful that the midterm elections are a year away because if they were being held this week, it would likely result in a political bloodbath. Red preferences all over the place. It's little wonder the RNC is gleefully blasting this clip out:
WATCH: MSNBC’s Chuck Todd highlights new polling “that is filled with some scary news for the Democrats.”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 31, 2021
“Americans have lost their confidence in President Biden and their optimism for the country.” pic.twitter.com/A9g82v20gD
Republicans lead Democrats among national voters on the economy, inflation, crime, immigration, and national security. On these issue sets, the GOP edge ranges from 13 to 27 points. It's not close. The "wrong track" number at 71 percent is striking, and because Democrats control all of Washington, their image has taken a real hit. Republicans remain fairly unpopular at net (-8) favorability. Democrats are now viewed even less favorably (-15). The generic ballot, which traditionally gives Democrats a clear advantage, is statistically tied. Another data point that will likely worry DC Democrats comes from the new ABC News poll. They've convinced themselves that their reckless tax-and-spend proposals are very popular and that the electorate is crying out for their plans to pass. This is reality:
JUST IN: 32% of Americans think the spending bills would hurt people like them if they became law, while 25% think it would help them. Nearly 2 in 10 (18%) think the bills would make no difference, according to a new @ABC News/Ipsos poll. https://t.co/x8yYsIjWPS
— ABC News (@ABC) October 31, 2021
A majority of Americans say the Democrats' scheme will either hurt them, or will make no difference in their lives. A paltry 25 percent -- just a quarter of the electorate! -- believe 'Build Back Better' would benefit them. A super-majority know nothing or little about what Democrats are even seeking to jam through using party-line votes. Will Nancy Pelosi feel compelled to offer the lamest and most laughable excuse imaginable here, by once again blaming the news media for being insufficiently zealous in carrying her party's water?