Last updated on May 30th, 2023 at 11:33 pm
As the 2024 election draws near, only a few months remain for President Joe Biden to solidify his legacy and make a final push for re-election. The polls conducted by various websites show fluctuations in the approval ratings of President Joe Biden and his competitors, including Republicans and domestic opponents. The factors that can affect these ratings include policies, the state of the economy, and public opinion on current events. A strong economy and popular policies can boost approval ratings, while weak policies or economic conditions can decrease them. Domestic opponents such as political movements and activists may also impact the ratings. The approval ratings reflect the public’s opinion of the leadership and policies of the president and his competitors.
Currently, the reduction of crude oil supply by OPEC countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, may harm President Joe Biden’s popularity because the US is heavily reliant on oil imports, and any disruption can lead to higher oil prices, inflation, and slower economic growth. This can result in job losses, reduced consumer spending, and an increase in the cost of living, which can hurt the average American’s pocket and lead to dissatisfaction among the public. Therefore, the Biden administration must find a solution to this issue and prevent any negative impacts on the American people. The news of former President Donald Trump’s Indictment overshadows the issue of crude oil concerning Biden.
Apart from this, there are concerns among some individuals that President Joe Biden’s age, as he will be 82 years old by the 2024 presidential election, could impact his ability to run for re-election. The concerns are mainly focused on his cognitive function and physical health, which are crucial attributes for a president. The occasional gaffes, forgetfulness, and physical health risks have raised questions about his ability to lead the country for another term. However, it’s important to evaluate Biden’s experience and leadership skills when considering his fitness for re-election.
CNN Survey
According to a recent CNN/SSRS survey conducted between March 1 and 31, 67% of Americans do not believe that President Biden deserves to be re-elected, while only 1% had no opinion. The same poll found Biden’s approval rating at 42%, down from 46% in early December, with only 37% of adults feeling that Biden deserves four more years as president.
The decline in approval rating is mainly attributed to lower enthusiasm for Biden among younger people and self-identified liberals, with only 26% of Americans aged 18-34 and 53% of liberals wanting to see Biden in the office again – a 10% drop in each demographic since December. While 54% of Democrats and left-leaning independents want to see a different candidate on the ballot, only 69% of those who want someone different are unable to pick a name.
Furthermore, a large number of people who approve of Biden’s performance (11%) do not want him to remain president until 2029 when he would leave office at the age of 86. Biden has not officially announced his candidacy for re-election and may delay his announcement until the fall, breaking the precedent of the last four presidents who announced their re-election bids in the second quarter of their third year in office.
The CNN poll also found that only 35% of respondents admired Biden’s immigration policy, with 37% approving of his handling of the economy and gun control. Biden’s approval ratings on national security (44%) and environmental policy (46%) were slightly higher than his overall rating.
More than half of those surveyed (67%) believed that Biden lacked the ‘stamina and sharpness‘ to serve effectively, while 65% said he did not ‘inspire confidence‘. Over half (54%) thought that Biden was not ‘honest and trustworthy‘. The poll surveyed 1,595 randomly selected adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Most Democrats want to see a different nominee but not as many as before
According to recent polling by CNN, among registered voters who identify as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents, 54% would prefer someone other than President Biden to be nominated in 2024, while 44% believe Biden should be the nominee. However, this represents an improvement for Biden since December when 59% said they wanted a different candidate, and the summer before that when the figure was 75%.
Interestingly, the increase in support for Biden comes mainly from college graduates, with 45% now preferring him to be renominated, up from 32% in December. Similarly, among independents who lean Democratic, 36% now prefer Biden to be renominated, up from 22% in December.
It is worth noting that few of those who want someone other than Biden as the nominee have a specific replacement candidate in mind. Around 70% of these individuals said they simply want someone else, without naming a specific candidate. Of those who did name a candidate, no individual was named by more than 5% of respondents. Bernie Sanders was named with 5%, Pete Buttigieg with 4%, Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama each received 3%, while Gavin Newsom and Elizabeth Warren received 2% each.
“Biden’s Age Likely to Be a Key Campaign Issue in 2024 Election”
The upcoming 2024 presidential race is expected to feature age as a contentious issue once again, with Joe Biden, the current president, being the oldest person ever elected to office at 80 years old. Several surveys have shown that many voters consider Biden’s age to be a factor in their decision-making process. Despite this, attacks from Biden’s political opponents on his age have often backfired, as insinuations of mental decline have been contradicted by strong debate performances and speeches. Such attacks have sometimes served to strengthen Biden’s support, particularly among online and cable news audiences.
Robert F. Kennedy sets date for a primary challenge against Biden
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer, and prominent anti-vaccine advocate, is reportedly planning to launch a primary challenge against President Biden in the upcoming US presidential election. Kennedy, who is the son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, is expected to make an official announcement of his candidacy on April 5th. However, his decision to run has been met with criticism from some members of the Democratic party due to his stance on COVID-19 vaccinations. Kennedy had previously visited New Hampshire, which traditionally hosts the first presidential primary, leading to speculation about his potential White House bid.
SSRS Research
An independent research company called SSRS conducted a study for CNN from March 1-31, 2023, using a representative sample of 1,595 respondents. The sample was selected randomly through Address-Based Sampling (ABS) of U.S. households, and adults aged 18 and older completed the survey online (n=1,459) or via phone (n=136). The margin of sampling error for the total respondents is +/-3.3 at the 95% confidence level, and the design effect is 1.85. For results among the 1,285 registered voters, the margin of sampling error is +/-3.7. Additional information about SSRS can be found at www.ssrs.com. Note that this information is embargoed until Thursday, April 6th.