After a week vacationing in his home state of Delaware, President Joe Biden is going west this week to tout his economic gains to residents of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is part of his campaign’s reelection strategy, which seeks to focus on the economy, record-low unemployment, and better-than-expected GDP growth.
However, poll numbers also show persistent voter skepticism about the state of the economy, while the political world remains dominated by other matters – including the indictment of former President Donald Trump for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election. That news has consumed the public consciousness, and in the process drawn the spotlight away from the White House’s efforts to promote “Bidenomics.”
However, this visit will be an attempt to shift that focus.
“You can expect us to highlight more groundbreakings of projects, more ribbon-cuttings, and opportunities to show the American people how these investments and jobs are reaching their communities and their neighborhoods,” Natalie Quillian, White House deputy chief of staff, told The Washington Post while previewing Biden’s stops this week in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. “This is a critical element of our strategy.”
Americans Just Don’t See It
At issue today is that Americans on Main Street may not be feeling any of the economic gains seen on Wall Street – mainly as last year’s inflation ate into savings for many.
In fact, even some who voted for Biden in 2020 have said they believe the economy has fared poorly under his stewardship and they might not vote for him in the 2024 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week.
About half of the respondents who voted for Biden in 2020 said they have heard little or nothing of his major policy initiatives to reduce inflation or boost spending on infrastructure.
Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth told Reuters that this week’s trip could serve to counter a message spread by the nation’s right-wing media that have distorted the economy and Biden’s legislative agenda.
“As President Biden gets out there on the campaign trail, I think you’ll see that trend start to change,” she said.
The Battle over Bidenomics? Joe Biden Should Worry
Even as Joe Biden hypes Bidenomics, Republicans have also been working aggressively to take back the term, dubbing it as synonymous with tax hikes and inflation.
Democrats acknowledge that slapping Biden’s name on the economy is a gamble, given the prospect of it moving in the wrong direction, Politico.com reported.
“It’s very brave of any elected official, especially the president of the United States, to make that bet — to say we have put so many things in motion, that I’m confident that month after month, over this year, people are feeling better this year than they did two years ago,” said Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), a member of the House’s Regional Leadership Council, which coordinates with the White House to discuss implementation of the laws on behalf of the House. “He’s betting and I agree with him.”
The question is whether Americans will agree. Right now, that looks suspect.
A New York Times/Siena College poll, conducted before Trump’s latest indictment last week, found Biden and Trump tied at 43 percent in a prospective matchup.
In fact, it seems many Americans will conclude Bidenomics looks like an election-style scam marketing campaign and that Joe Biden looks like a fool for putting it out in the public arena.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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