Biden’s Polling Remains Underwater, but There’s Something Else for Republicans – Opinion

NBC News dropped a poll today largely focusing on President Joe Biden and his approval numbers, and it’s good news for Republicans. While this poll has him beating the RealClearPolitics average by three points, he’s still underwater with 44 percent approval versus 54 percent disapproval.

The President is almost always in dire straits.

In his inaugural address one year ago, President Joe Biden championed unity, promised a bold governing agenda and prioritized defeating the coronavirus.

Now, as Biden begins his second year as president, majorities of Americans give him low marks for uniting the country, being competent and having the ability to handle a crisis, according to results from a new national NBC News poll.

What’s more, 6 in 10 disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy, while more than half give him a thumbs-down on dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

His overall job rating among adults stands at 43 percent approve and 54 percent disapprove — unchanged in essence from October’s survey. This is the same as October’s survey: 44% of registered voters approve, 54% disapprove.

• The economy: 38-60
• About the coronavirus: 44 – 53
• The US-Russia Relationship: 37-50
• On foreign policy: 37-54

I mentioned yesterday that the issues hitting Americans hardest – the economy and COVID-19 – are going unaddressed while Biden and the Democrats continue to focus on issues that are distant to the vast majority of American voters. They are not seen as properly handing the virus or the economy (if they’re even being seen as handling it at all). They are currently worried about supply shortages and omicron spikes.

But, buried within this poll is a sign that the Republican Party’s future is still up in the air.

The NBC News poll asks Republican voters if they support Trump or Republican Party since January 2019. More most of that question’s history, Trump has hovered in the low 50s/high 40s on that question while the GOP has mostly been coming in second. But in the August poll, Trump hit a low of 40 percent preference versus the GOP’s 50 percent. In October, he crept back up to 43 percent to the GOP’s 50 percent.

Trump reached a record low of 36% this month while Republicans surged to 56%

So while all of Biden’s woes keep piling up, Trump has not been able to keep much of a platform with Republican voters. Some rallies here and there help, as does the media coverage (good or bad) that they get, but his lack of a social media platform and little daily press coverage has hurt his ability to stay in front of voters’ eyes consistently enough for them to want to see more.

Meanwhile, Biden’s agenda and lack of political skill have been a gift to Republicans. They don’t even have to come out and do or say anything as the Democrats just constantly trip over themselves through their chaotic control of the House and Senate. It’s made the GOP look much better in moderate/centrist voters’ eyes. It’s causing them to see polling spikes, and Democrats are becoming very scared.

It’s giving Republicans an opportunity to create their own platforms, and get their name out there. It’s led to Ron DeSantis of Florida getting bigger name recognition. It’s allowed Glenn Youngkin to shock Virginians and the rest of the country. It’s given an opening for Josh Hawley. It’s provided Ted Cruz an opportunity at a soft re-launch of his image.

That’s not to say that Trump can’t or won’t be a force in the future. Trump’s best chance will be to win his top candidates elected in 2022. He’s attempting that in Georgia and elsewhere.

But if he can’t win those elections, then it’s time to rethink his position within the party. It may not be the right way forward for him to run as a 2024 candidate. It is possible for him to still be the kingmaker, and maybe better leave a lasting legacy. He could also guide the party in his efforts to remain a powerful political force.

Right now, though, he simply can’t be. He doesn’t have a platform to do it from.

Yet.