It has been the consensus that President Joe Biden’s reelection faces some real challenges ahead. A poll conducted by the New York Times and the Siena College Research Institute published Nov. 5 found former President Trump is polling ahead of almost every swing state except for Wisconsin. Biden’s approval rating has been in the negative ever since America’s embarrassing August 2020 withdrawal from Afghanistan as the Taliban swooped across the country and entered Kabul without resistance. Although Trump’s approval ratings throughout his tenure were astoundingly low, with it remaining in the negative double-digits for almost his entire presidency, Biden’s approval ratings are beginning to rival his. As of Nov. 10, 538 puts Biden’s net approval at -16.8.
Vice President Kamala Harris is not giving Biden any help either. Her approval ratings are worse than both Biden and Trump. This is especially concerning due to Biden’s age. At 80 years old, Biden is the oldest president in American history, and his age is a major concern to voters. Thus, Harris is a concern to voters more than any other vice president before, and the campaign must convince Americans not only that Biden should continue to serve as president, but that Harris would be able to perform in the position of president as well.
Despite the two most high-profile members of the Democratic party not receiving much love from the American public, Democrats have been able to outperform expectations in two consecutive elections. In the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats were able to subdue what most had predicted would be a red wave, winning many competitive governorships and making gains in the Senate, and, on election day Nov. 7, Democrats had many victories. In Kentucky, a deeply Republican state, incumbent Governor Andy Beshear was able to defeat his Republican challenger by five percentage points. In Virginia, Republicans lost their majority in the House of Delegates despite extensive campaigning. Finally, in our state of Pennsylvania, considered a swing state in 2024, Daniel McCaffery won his Supreme Court election by over seven points.
Overall, what has been shown in our last two election cycles is that, although most Americans are unhappy with Biden, they’re still willing to vote for his party at the ballot box. Fortunately for him, that might be enough.
