In case you needed (more) polling to let you know that a majority of Americans believe President Joe Biden is too old to hold the highest elected office in the country, the Wall Street Journal provided it over the holiday weekend.
The Journal’s poll demonstrated that along with his age, Biden’s handling of the economy is also a key area of concern for many voters. Almost 60 percent of respondents disapprove of Biden’s management of the economy, despite his frequent boasts that “Bidenomics is working.”
White House Cognitive Dissonance
The Bidenomics statement is hilarious considering the price of everyday goods such as groceries and food has not budged over the summer. Gas prices rocketed up again the past week here in California, back to almost $6 a gallon in some areas of Los Angeles.
The Babylon Bee, notorious for its biting satire, posted a photo on Instagram with the tagline “White House Assures Inflation Is Only Affecting People Who Need To Buy Stuff” with the comment “If you don’t have to purchase food, clothing, transportation or shelter to survive, none of this will affect you!”
There really does seem to be cognitive dissonance between White House messaging and the experience of everyday Americans. It’s as if they believe that if they say everything is fine long enough, people will believe it, despite what their eyes and wallets tell them.
In the same poll, Trump doesn’t fare much better ratings-wise, particularly in the area of likeability and honesty. Although, if the press told half the truth about Biden, his past, or his voting record, he’d definitely give Trump a run for his money in the honesty category.
Come to think of it, I find Trump more honest than Biden. People may not like it, but he always seems to say exactly what he thinks, as opposed to Biden who has been known for making up stories and lying since the beginning of his career.
Despite what many likely would consider my poor judge of character, it’s interesting that it’s only Trump’s personality flaws that seem to repulse voters. Many respondents gave the former president more favorable ratings than the current when it comes to mental acuity, a vision for the future, and a strong record of accomplishment as president.
Biden scored unfavorable ratings in literally almost every policy issue that matters right now – securing the border, improving infrastructure, dealing with China, and the war in Ukraine.
To sum up, despite Biden’s complete and utter failure at leadership, people won’t vote for Trump because they don’t like him.
I’m not sure that’s the logical solution, but as we know logic is in short supply these days.
2016 On Repeat
Although Americans are distraught with what currently seems to be their two main choices for the Oval Office, there doesn’t seem to be a way out.
The Republican party is contending with the force that is MAGA. They are so loyal to their leader that, despite the general likeability of other qualified candidates, they will not concede control. They seem to truly believe only Donald Trump can save this republic and return it to its former glory or that he deserves what was rightly his in the first place.
Republican primary voters must wrestle with the decision to either cast votes based purely on who they would like to see lead the country, outcomes be damned, or cast a more strategic vote to help lead their party to victory.
Unlike their counterpart, the Democrat party struggles with a lack of good options. Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, or any of the newbies the DNC is grooming are not likely to be strong enough to beat any Republican candidate, even Trump. There have been rumors floating around about Michelle Obama running, but as of now, those are just that – rumors.
I sincerely think Robert Kennedy, Jr. has a shot at winning in 2024, but the DNC will never let that happen. Although he is their best bet to win the general, he is not their kind of Democrat and would greatly upset the apple cart, aka the protected class.
The stakes of this election are high. According to the polls, the top candidate from each party is intensely disliked by a majority of the other side, which will make it challenging to attract independent or swing voters necessary to win a decisive victory.
Yet each party faces unique challenges when considering options for Trump and Biden replacements.
I just pray both of them choose one, and fast.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review.
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