President Joe Biden may be less of a political liability to Democrats in competitive midterm elections than previously thought, but he’s still letting them keep him at arm’s length.
Biden and the White House‘s midterm strategy amid the president’s improving poll numbers has been to travel to battleground states to promote his own agenda and Democrats more broadly instead of specific candidates. That tactic has provided his party’s candidates with a polite excuse not to attend, depending on the needs of their own campaign.
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Biden’s trip to Florida this week, part of a promise he made at the start of the year to support Democrats this cycle, was canceled because of Hurricane Ian. The president’s scrapped itinerary included a speech in Fort Lauderdale on healthcare and social programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, as well as a Democratic National Committee rally in Orlando. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), who wants to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), had planned on skipping the Orlando event, though gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist (D-FL) was going to join him
The Demings example is another instance of “Biden Democrats” distancing themselves from Biden “despite voting with him nearly 100% of the time,” according to Republican National Committee spokesman Nathan Brand.
“Whether it is his low approval ratings, the rising costs he caused, or the recession he created, Democrats know Joe Biden is toxic,” Brand told the Washington Examiner. “Unfortunate for them, voters know congressional Democrats voted in lockstep with Biden to send our nation in the wrong direction.”
Former Democratic consultant Christopher Hahn underscored Biden’s average 42%-52% and 42%-53% approval-disapproval, according to FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, respectively. Biden’s popularity ticked up over the summer after Democrats passed the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act, a compromise bill based on his 2020 climate and healthcare spending proposal, and the Supreme Court overturned abortion precedent Roe v. Wade.
“The president’s best strategy is to be presidential and keep racking up wins,” Hahn said. “The Supreme Court and [former President Donald] Trump’s insistence that he be the center of political attention have made this a choice election.”
The Aggressive Progressive podcast host added of Trump, “By wrapping their arms around the comically incompetent and potentially criminal ex-president, the GOP has squandered their opportunity to make big gains this year.”
For political analyst Costas Panagopoulos, the White House and the DNC are being “calculated” by focusing on Biden’s legislative achievements and future political priorities.
“In the end, it’s likely the indirect impact of this approach will help Democratic candidates more than any joint appearances, which always come with some risk of backfiring and distracting attention from the candidates themselves,” the Northeastern University politics chairman said.
Biden’s Florida trip was similar to his midterm visits to Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York in that they combined official business with a fundraiser or rally. His Maryland itinerary incorporated two DNC events, while his trips to Pennsylvania and Ohio were supposed to be nonpolitical.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who is seeking a second term against political commentator Tudor Dixon (R), was photographed holding hands with Biden at the Detroit Auto Show. Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D), who is hoping to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R) over venture capitalist and author J.D. Vance (R), was with Biden at Intel’s groundbreaking ceremony after the $550 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act became law. And although Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), who is running against doctor and television personality Mehmet Oz (R) to represent the state in the Senate, was not at Biden’s Safer America Plan rally, he did go to a Labor Day event with him the following week.
As Biden focuses on the big picture as president, it is not certain he will mount another campaign for himself in 2024.
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“In terms of election laws and it’s much too early to make that kind of decision,” Biden told CBS’s 60 Minutes. “I’m a great respecter of fate. And so what I’m doing is I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job and, within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do.”
