Although the American public views Joe Biden as both too old and mentally unfit to be President, he has still decided to run for re-election, leaving many to wonder about his motives. If he had chosen not to run, it would have been understandable, even to members of his own political party. While the Democratic lineup of candidates may not have been particularly strong, Democrat primary voters would have welcomed the opportunity to nominate someone new — anyone else with a pulse just to give the party a fighting chance to have a candidate who can handle the rigors of a presidential campaign.
One would think that Joe Biden knows something we don’t. Why else would he go through another presidential campaign when it’s obvious he can’t hack it? I assure you, he doesn’t, and, in fact, he launched his campaign at the weakest point in his presidency.
According to the most recent survey conducted by Gallup, one of the most reputable polling outfits out there, only 37% of Americans approve of President Biden’s performance. This is the lowest approval rating of his presidency. The survey was conducted between April 3 and April 25, which notably includes the day when Biden announced his candidacy for re-election.
Joe Biden’s job approval rating as president is now 37%, the lowest in his presidency to date. https://t.co/jfaRzy9dgH pic.twitter.com/LJ2FW6ZM0M
— GallupNews (@GallupNews) April 27, 2023
This rating is six points lower than it was after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was a turning point of his presidency that sent his approval ratings into negative territory for the first time, where they have remained. In his ninth quarter in office, Biden’s average approval rating is lower than that of both Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump at the same time point in their presidencies. Only 83% of Democrats still approve of his job performance, while his approval rating among independents has dropped to 31%, a nine-point decrease from the previous poll conducted in February. Surprisingly, four percent of Republicans currently approve of Biden’s performance.
In the immediate aftermath of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, it seemed inevitable that Biden’s approval ratings would have recovered, but they never did. And the main reason appears to be the economy.
“The drop in Biden’s job approval corresponds with Americans’ worsening evaluations of the U.S. economy. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index for April is -44, down from -38 in March. It was last at this level in October,” explains Jeffrey M. Jones of Gallup. “Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index summarizes Americans’ ratings of current economic conditions and their perceptions of whether the economy is getting better or worse. In the new survey, 16% rate the economy as excellent or good, 37% say it is “only fair” and 47% poor (up from 43% in March). Meanwhile, 19% say the economy is getting better and 75% worse, compared with ratings of 23% and 72%, respectively, in March.”
In other words, despite all the rhetoric Joe Biden pushes about how awesome the economy is and the jobs he falsely claims to have created, Americans see and feel the truth, the economy is in bad shape, gas prices and inflation remain high, and a recession looms. Only 35% of American adults have confidence “in Biden to do or to recommend the right thing for the economy.”
This is hardly a solid foundation to launch a presidential campaign.