Politico | Joe Biden trapped in coronavirus malaise: ‘president’s decline is alarming’
- President Joe Biden’s average approval rating has plunged nearly 15 points since late June
- Democrats are ringing alarm bells and coming to the simplest of conclusions: it’s the pandemic
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Christopher Cadelago and Laura Barron-Lopez on politico.com on October 11, 2021.
All nine participants from Tuesday’s session gave Biden C- grades or lower. And their answers circled back to a similar point: the pandemic and the many ways it continues to hinder normal life is souring their views of Biden.
One woman said she wanted to buy a car but supply chain issues were delaying new shipments to the dealership. A man complained about understaffed restaurants.
“There is a malaise,” said Sarah Longwell, a moderate Republican strategist who became a vocal supporter of Biden in 2020, and led the focus group of Democratic voters. “People don’t feel like their lives have been improved. They did sort of feel that promises aren’t being kept.”
Nearly nine months into office, Biden and his team contend that the ravages of the pandemic are starting to recede due to his actions. They point to polling showing strong support for his legislative agenda, anchored by physical infrastructure and social and climate spending packages. They note how rare it’s been for Democratic lawmakers to break ranks, even during this current, difficult period.
