Biden has Democrats 'slamming their heads on a ceiling' in search for votes

Katherine Doyle

November 02, 06:30 AM November 02, 06:36 AM

President Joe Biden had hoped a flurry of late summer legislation and the Supreme Court's decision to roll back national abortion rights could help Democrats defy historical midterm trends.

But with less than a week until Election Day, Democrats tethered to the president’s low approval rating face darkening prospects as late ballots break toward Republicans.

In key races across the country, Democrats attempting to keep the party’s control of Congress are struggling to escape voters’ economic concerns and worries about rising crime.

Candidates have attempted to combat a Republican advantage on both issues, but surveys suggest the challenge is only growing.

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Just 19% of voters said the economy was headed in the right direction, down 11 points from August, according to the latest Wall Street Journal poll.

And a majority of voters pin blame on the White House: While 27% said the administration’s policies had a positive impact on the economy, 54% disagreed, the survey showed.

Crime, too, is an issue for voters, with Democrats fighting to distance themselves from policies popular with the party’s far Left.

Meanwhile, the enthusiasm that Gallup registered as high in June for that point in the midterm cycle remains nearly unchanged and is down compared to 2018.

The president’s party typically loses ground in a midterm election, but the picture for Democrats appears to be growing bleaker as the tilt of independent and undecided voters breaks toward Republicans in the final stretch of the race.

On a generic ballot from USA Today-Suffolk University, voters favored Republican candidates at 49%, with Democrats at 45%, a turn from July when Democrats led 44%-40%.

Boosted by undecided voters, forecasts suggest Republicans are poised to capture the five seats necessary to retake the House. A net gain of a single seat in the Senate would secure their advantage in the upper chamber.

Dogged by poor approval ratings, Biden has avoided prominent battlegrounds in the countdown to Election Day, including high-profile races in Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia, which helped elect him.

Instead, the president has focused on events that promote his agenda and sought to draw a contrast with Republicans, charging in remarks Saturday that the outcome of the midterm elections should be viewed not as a referendum on the party in power but as a “fundamental choice between two very different visions for the country.”

The strategy is running up against immovable obstacles, hemmed in by Biden’s handling of the economy and country, said Republican pollster Robert Blizzard.

Despite their efforts to make the midterm elections “anything but a referendum” on Biden’s record, “Democratic candidates simply cannot escape,” Blizzard told the Washington Examiner.

Biden’s polling on the economy remains stubbornly low. According to the RealClearPolitics average, voters disapprove of the job Biden is doing on the economy by nearly 20 percentage points, with 58% opposing his leadership on the issue, compared to 39% who support it.

By comparison, the president’s job approval is underwater by nearly half — 12 points — with 43% approval, compared to 55% who disapprove.

Blizzard said Democratic candidates have struggled to expand their share of voters, a metric he and other analysts say is essential to gauge who is likely to come out ahead.

For months, Democrats have been “slamming their heads on a ceiling of support,” Blizzard said, stuck closely ahead of Biden’s approval rating in key states and districts.

And even candidates running ahead of Biden by double digits may face a thinning pool of persuadable voters.

Republican support among Latino voters and women has grown, according to the Wall Street Journal, notably among white suburban women. The group, which the Wall Street Journal’s pollsters said makes up 20% of the electorate, now favors Republicans by 15 percentage points, a 26-point swing since August.