It’s unsurprising, but it’s still not good news for Biden’s re-election chances regarding his support with voters without college degrees. It was 42 percent in 2020. It’s now dipped another ten points, and it could get worse, barring an epic political comeback, requiring Biden to tap into something that’s eluded him for 40 years: political skill. The New York Post aptly described this as political hemorrhaging:
President Biden is bleeding support from voters who don’t have college degrees, setting up a much tighter battle for the White House than in 2020, according to a new poll.
The survey, from Reuters, found that Biden’s support among voters without a four-year degree was 10 points lower than his standing with them at this point in the 2020 campaign.
Biden has the support of 42% of such voters in 2020 and just 32% now.
Trump meanwhile gained among them with 44% now compared to 42% in 2020.
Voters without a college degree represented almost 60% of the 2020 electorate, a vast demographic comprising Blacks, Hispanic women, young voters, and suburban moms.
It’s part of the trend we’re seeing across the board: Biden’s support is in the toilet, and his campaign refuses to believe the president is heading for defeat if nothing changes. Young people are fleeing Biden due to his Israel policy and lackluster economy. Black voters and Hispanics are drifting into the MAGA camp in record numbers.
Independent voters also have had enough of Biden; Michigan is chock full of them—a state Biden must win in November. He faces a Muslim voter revolt there, not that they’ll vote for Trump, but they could stay home the longer the war in Gaza continues. Biden will always have single, college-educated women in his corner, but can they offset the massive dips in support across groups historically associated with the Obama coalition?
As for Trump, he could do better with this group, and I think he will.