Are Democrats facing a difficult time as we move towards the mid-terms in November? It depends who you ask. It is possible to believe that things are just fine if you follow the White House’s lead.
Americans have returned to work after a lengthy hiatus, and the economy is now on the rebound.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 5, 2022
However, talking to people beyond the beltway gives you a different picture. That’s the subject of a new report from Politico which shared the results of two different focus groups, both constituted of core Biden voters. Their demographic breakdowns are as follows: “Black Base, Always vote for Dems, Ages 25+” and “Youth Base; Always vote for Dems, Ages 25 – 39.”
They are the people most likely to forgive Democrat woes and be loyal. Yet, even they are not buying the “everything is roses” propaganda campaign coming from the White House and some in the media.
.@playbookdcThis AM is only one example of how Democrats have been screwed.
This is information from participants in a focus group that were supposed to represent core Biden Democrats!!https://t.co/v97cdPpRAM pic.twitter.com/n1Fxaz41PV
— Michael McAdams (@M_McAdams) April 5, 2022
These groups are made up of highly liberal voters but their concerns reflect the vast majority of the nation. Their bottom lines are being eroded by inflation, which is causing them anxiety and exhaustion. It is also triggering what seems like an endless cycle of price increases. Inflation and problems in the supply chain are also making an impact.
The Democrat Party decided to highlight the American Rescue Plan. This is a spending bill which was a boondoggle and helped inflict the current inflation crisis. It also recently signed an infrastructure plan. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be resonating.
The new bridges and all of the Covid money they received in the ARP were not well-received by them.This would be done with infrastructure money.
One common reply was from a young white woman from Montana: “I think Democrats have just been really ineffectual.”
Democrats are faced with the challenge of convincing people that their deceitful lies do not exist. You might be able to gaslight people on foreign policy, but you can’t do so in regards to their bank account. You can’t hide the meat shortages at the supermarkets or the fact that gas has doubled under Biden’s tenure. At the end of the day, touting jobs reports and claiming the economy is booming isn’t going to cut it when individual families are getting crushed.
Crime is on the rise, particularly in urban areas. This has created fear. One man from the focus group opposed bail reform. It’s a priority for Democrats that puts repeat offenders out onto the streets. The pandemic is a topic that the Biden voters have grown tired of and are not giving the president any high marks.
Black voters were less skeptical than white voters when asked about Ukraine. They are more skeptical that billions could be sent in aid for the Eastern European country being attacked by Russia.
After hearing the price tag of the bill, one Black male Biden voter replied, “They need to take that money back and give it to Black people for reparations.”
This is the position Democrats are in. They’ve so leaned into racial grievance politics that some of their voters now expect something that isn’t going to happen. When that promise is good and fully broken, it’s only going to lead to more discontent.
However, the highlight of the focus group was a conversation between a woman from Africa and her enthusiasm about the midterms.
One Black female participant said she didn’t feel much urgency about the midterms “because at this moment the Democrats [are] running the House and they’re not getting much done.”
Ultimately, that’s why Democrats are screwed. It’s not that anyone should expect black voters or young voters, by far the most reliable Democrat blocks, to suddenly start voting majority Republican. But what can happen is a lack of turnout that only helps the GOP’s already golden prospects. The White House’s messaging simply isn’t working, and there’s little reason to believe the dynamics shown in these focus groups will change before November.