The term “Bidenomics” became synonymous with the sluggish and inflationary economy of President Biden during 2021 and 2022. Now into 2023, some economic indicators are doing better but warning signs are still flashing.
It’s in this context that someone at the White House decided the term “Bidenomics” would be a good selling point for a campaign message in 2024.
Pro tip: Only adopt terminology that people already view as inherently positive, not derisive.
Well, the initial results are in and the grading isn’t happening on a curve, according to a new Biden approval poll from the Associated Press/NORC:
President Joe Biden has devoted the past several weeks to promoting the positive impacts of his policies — but his efforts have yet to meaningfully register with the public.
Only 36% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, slightly lower than the 42% who approve of his overall performance, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Both figures are close to where Biden’s approval numbers have stood for about the past year and a half, including just two months ago. Signs of an improving economic outlook have done little to sway how people feel about the Democratic president as he gears up for a 2024 reelection campaign that could pit him against his predecessor and 2020 opponent, Republican Donald Trump.
The AP can’t understand why since, as they note, “signs of an improving economy” haven’t helped Biden. That’s because these signs still haven’t helped average Americans dig out from rampant inflation, high mortgage rates, high gas prices, and a general feeling that everything is more expensive these days because it is.
Well, surely Democrats are pleased with Biden’s progress so far:
Just 65% of Democrats approve of Biden’s economic leadership, while 76% approve of how he’s handling the job overall.
Actually no, Democrats are sick of Biden’s failures as well. Though many view him as not being progressive enough on some things, they view him as the “middle of the road” option despite his intense hatred toward half the country that voted for Donald Trump and everything to do with free market capitalism.
The real bread and butter are right here, the truth of what many Americans feel every day despite these “improving economy signs” the AP is gloating about:
For GOP supporters, such as Merritt Rahn, 74, Biden has gone too far. Rahn said he is retired but also works at Home Depot and sees higher gasoline and food costs as making it harder for families to get by financially. The Jensen Beach, Florida, resident said Biden will further hurt the U.S. by moving energy sources away from oil and gas.
“It’s a death to our society and economy,” said Rahn, who added that he believes Biden “has no clue what’s going on.”
Being a “GOP supporter” is meaningless in this context since it’s about paying bills, putting gas in the car, and keeping food on the table. If Biden’s economy wasn’t punishing everyone outside of the billionaire class, he’d be getting higher marks.
Perhaps most hilarious, however, is that the term “Bidenomics” is really confusing to some voters, especially young Democrats:
The president has used the term “Bidenomics” to try to encompass his ideas to lower costs for people on Medicare, shift toward electric vehicles and renewable energy, and build factories for advanced computer chips and batteries. Yet some are still struggling to understand what the term means.
Asked about the definition of Bidenomics, Cory O’Brien, 39, said: “You know what, dude, I have no idea. Biden is a free market capitalist like most moderate Democrats are.”
When one of your most important, most targeted voting demographics has “no idea” what your campaign platitudes mean, you might want to head back to the messaging board.
Biden’s 2024 campaign is a mess with bad messaging and a bad product to sell. Democrats think he should step aside next year and let someone else have the reigns. Republicans have exposed the Biden family as a group of self-enriching Washington swamp rats siphoning money from foreign governments.
In fact, the AP asked about the Biden crime family and found that most Americans think Biden’s making the government more corrupt, not less:
Biden also faces renewed pressure related to investigations over his son Hunter’s business dealings. The poll finds that a majority of Americans — 58% — have hardly any confidence in Biden to reduce corruption in government, though that’s unchanged since January. Another 30% have some confidence and 10% have have a great deal of confidence.
With all that said, Bidenomics is an abject failure and so is Biden’s presidency as a whole.
