Normal people would think about the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine as they watch. They might be overwhelmed with thoughts like the destruction of war and refugees fleeing fighting. However, CNN’s Chris Cillizza thoughts on the same situation seem to center around… Joe Biden’s poll numbers. Cillizza expressed deep concern at the fact that Ukraine’s war was just a minor note Saturday, in the article “Is this the start of a Joe Biden return?”
Cillizza starts out with a sense of deep concern over how rough it has been for…Joe Biden:
President Joe Biden has had a difficult month, and a really rough year.
Biden has been plagued by high inflation, the Omicron variant and uncertainty in Ukraine. His poll numbers are slipping, his approval ratings remain in the 40s.
The results of a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey suggest that things might be shifting. Biden’s job approval score among Americans stands at 47%. This is 8 points higher than the poll he took last month. The individual issues also show this bump. 52 percent of Americans approve that Biden has handled the Ukraine and Russia situation. This is an 18% increase. points compared to last month.Covid-19 now has 55% approval, an increase of 8 percentage points over last month. A 9-point rise in approval is seen among 45% who approve of his economic management.
Biden’s State of the Union speech, which was delivered earlier this week, can partially explain the positive mood. The speech was well received and a great opportunity for a president to have the bully pulpit during prime-time.
There are many other signs that a Biden return could be possible, beyond the temporary State of the Union bump.
1) His management of Ukraine — leading an international alliance against Russia and imposing tough economic sanctions while refusing American military forces — have won him praise from Democrats as well as Republicans.
Cillizza ends by referring to “The Point”, where his hopes and dreams are centered around Biden’s poll numbers.
What’s the point? Democrats who are on November’s ballot should hope that this is a true turning point and not a false negative for Biden. His numbers will not be in the 40s by 2022, which would mean a party wipeout.
Psst! Chris! Chris, could you pretend at all to be concerned about what is happening in Ukraine and not just focus on the impact it has upon Biden’s poll numbers.
About Post Author
