You’d think that a sitting president would visit key states before a midterm election, but deeply unpopular Joe Biden is avoiding battleground states like Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada even as he claims this election is “one of the most important… in our lifetime.” Key congressional and gubernatorial races will be decided on election day, November 8, but Biden is staying away, according to the Wall Street Journal:
Of the 14 states with some of the most competitive Senate and governor races, based on ratings from the Cook Political Report, Mr. Biden has visited six since Sept. 1. He hasn’t been to Arizona, Nevada or Georgia, three states with high-profile midterm races that also helped put him in the White House.
He’s probably smart to stay away, given that polls show over half of Americans don’t approve of his job performance. After the debacle in Afghanistan, inflation, insane gas prices, and the border crisis, there’s not a lot for him to brag about. Also, as we’ve reported, some candidates like Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams and Senate candidate (and current Ohio representative) Tim Ryan are keeping their distance from him, hoping his stench of failure won’t rub off. Some strategists now claim that Biden is a “drag” on Democratic midterm hopes and that he will be the “fall guy” if things don’t go their way.
The Journal elaborates:
As some Democratic candidates keep their distance, he is focusing on official events to promote his agenda, policy speeches at the White House and fundraisers. The approach differs from that of former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama, who both campaigned more during the first midterm election after they took the White House, but their parties still faced heavy losses.
Says Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis:
The problem this cycle, in terms of where we are today and where we are headed, is that it’s not clear what is safe anymore. I’m not surprised he’s not going to Arizona or Nevada. The question is—is he helping or hurting in Pennsylvania or New York? That part is not clear. I don’t see many candidates clamoring for him to come.
Time to trot out the savior: Barack Obama! The former president campaigned in Michigan and Wisconsin over the weekend and will visit Arizona and Nevada next. In other words, all the places where Biden is basically persona non grata. Not everyone thinks Obama can save the day, however:
DailyMail reports that Biden’s campaign schedule is unusually light compared to his predecessors:
Looking at Barack Obama’s schedule for October 2010, before his first midterm election, the then-president made 22 campaign-related trips.
Biden, in comparison, has made eight campaign-related trips in October 2022, according to an analysis of presidential travel by DailyMail.com.
It’s a sign of just how far Biden’s status has fallen since his inauguration. Two years ago he supposedly received over 80 million votes; today he has even losing candidates shunning him. He has done such an awful job as president that his presence is seen by many as an embarrassment.
He’s mainly been relegated to shoring up deep blue areas. Stumping for Kathy Hochul in New York’s gubernatorial race, which at one point had challenger Lee Zeldin down by 25 points, is hardly a sign of confidence in Democrat prospects. He also attempted to prop up Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman, an event that unsurprisingly turned out poorly.
I don’t think even Barack can save him, and I’m predicting a red tsunami. An impotent Biden will realize he has no chance in 2024 and will announce he is not running. The race to be the next Democrat presidential nominee will begin in full force.
I’m betting on it. Because the alternative isn’t pretty for the US of A.