Despite the president and his administration's attempts to make every waking moment about "Bidenomics," it appears Democrats fighting to win elections next November — including Joe Biden himself — are looking to change tact when it comes to economic terms and the significant (and inflated) baggage with which they're associated.
Don't take our word for it: Axios reported this week exposed an(other) apparent divide within Biden's party "on how to communicate about the economy at a time when most voters are dissatisfied with it."
As a result of discussions and likely debates about how to explain why Biden and his party should remain in or gain power when most Americans are worse off than they were four years ago, "House Democrats have rejected the White House's months-long campaign to sell the term 'Bidenomics.'"
As Axios noted, "House Democratic leadership stopped pushing the term months ago" as two "key fundraising arms" — the DCCC and House Majority PAC, specifically — avoid using "Bidenomics" in posts "on social media and press releases, as polling indicates the tagline is ineffective."
The White House, however, clearly didn't poll-test the term before going all-in on "Bidenomics." In June, from the briefing room, the Biden administration declared Bidenomics to be the "word of the day, word of the week, word of the month, word of the year here at the White House."
Watch:
JUNE 2023: Top Biden spokeswoman says "Bidenomics" is the "word of the day, word of the week, word of the month, [and] word of the year here at the White House."
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 4, 2023
Biden hasn't used the term in more than a month. What changed? pic.twitter.com/WTWllHSkyg
Citing "a meeting this past summer" — that is, within weeks of the White House declaring this the year of "Bidenomics" — "House Democrats decided to stick with 'People Over Politics'" instead, according to Axios.
It seems Biden, too, has arrived at the same decision, suddenly abandoning the use of the term last month.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 1, 2023
"The 'Bidenomics' catchphrase seemed to present a host of issues, according to Democratic sources" reported by Axios in their dispatch on the latest failure of Biden terminology. "The term was seen as tone-deaf to voters still struggling economically and also invoked a president with lackluster polling numbers." Those will remember the discontinuation of "Build Back Better" earlier in Biden's first term, another casualty of the president's failure to bring America out of pandemic-era restrictions and woes let alone make them better off than they were before COVID-19 was unleashed on the world.
Whatever the White House and congressional Democrats on the ballot in 2024 want to label their policies, they're still not working and Americans are still suffering — and know who to blame. According to a November poll from Fox News, 78 percent of Americans rate the economy negatively and President Biden underwater approval rating on the economy is -32.
Across the aisle, Republicans have opened their widest lead over Democrats when it comes to Americans' trust to manage the U.S. economy. According to Gallup, the GOP now has its biggest lead since 1991 — 53 percent to 39 percent — among Americans asked which party they trust to keep America prosperous.
By the widest margin since 1991, Americans trust REPUBLICANS to keep the country prosperous. pic.twitter.com/PscS36Fzpi
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 3, 2023