Who are the 27% of Americans giving Biden a nod of approval on handling gas prices? Must be people who don’t drive more than 1 mile a day or don’t drive at all. Given the number of urban centers and millions of people who take public transit daily, there is bound to be a small group less concerned about gas prices than someone driving to work or school every day.
Gas prices aside, Biden is absolutely nosediving when voters are asked to rank issues important to them, then asked how the president is handling the situation.
The numbers are beyond bad and signal, perhaps, a sea change in American politics heading into the fall. Biden’s disfavor with voters has grown so cutting that even Democrats are now hitting back on pocketbook issues that just keep getting worse.
The ABC News poll numbers are gruesome but not unexpected:
With inflation on the rise since last fall, Americans have been significantly affected by the rising cost of goods and services. And, more than eight in 10 Americans (83%) now say that the economy is either an extremely or very important issue in determining how they will vote, in the latest ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
In the poll, 80% of Americans say that inflation is also an extremely or very important factor in how they will vote and for gas prices, it is 74%.
Joe Biden’s approval ratings for his handling of these key issues are all well underwater, suggesting trouble for the president and Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm. Only 37% approve of Biden’s handling of the economic recovery, and even fewer approve of his handling of inflation (28%) and gas prices (27%).
Biden continues to complain he’s not getting credit for the good jobs report last week. That’s like a baseball pitcher complaining that he’s not getting credit for a strikeout right after he gave away five grand slams. Yes, you have one good stat to showcase. That one stat doesn’t undo or erase the truly abysmal stats on inflation across the board.
Truly, where is the humility in Biden? When did “Scranton Joe” become so indifferent to the average working-class voter that he’s willing to complain that even though the economy is on fire, in a bad way, he still should be getting credit for something good if you look hard enough.
What you don’t have to look hard for is to find gas prices in many areas over $5.00 per gallon, and starting to tease that level in the rest of the country. If gasoline hits an average of $5.00 per gallon nationwide, it’s nerve-wracking to consider what may happen around the country.
We’re already heading toward a summer of violence and unrest, just look around at the violent crime stats from cities coast to coast. Add in economic anxiety causing more financial pain and it’s a recipe for ongoing social unrest.
Not for nothing, but Rasmussen Reports also released some numbers today showing that a slight majority of Democrats now saying the country is on the wrong track:
"Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are going in the right direction or have they gotten off on the wrong track?"
-WRONG TRACK-
Party –
DEM: 52% ?
IND: 77%
GOP: 84%
Ideology –
Conservative: 81%
Moderate: 69%
Liberal: 51% ?
Not Sure: 71%
All Voters: 71% https://t.co/RMiihUccZO— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) June 6, 2022
If that number continues to creep up, which has been the case for months, then expect a lot of depressed voter turnout among Biden’s base in November. Some will cross over and vote Republican, but most simply will not vote at all given the result has been awful since Democrats took over the White House and Congress.
We’re on the verge of gas prices literally doubling since Biden took office. Check back in a week, it seems like it might not even take that long.
