Biden’s Poll Numbers Alarm Senate Democrats as Economic Messaging Falls Flat

President Joe Biden’s poor poll numbers are alarming some Senate Democrats, with one senator saying, “There’s just no enthusiasm” behind Biden in their experiences with constituents, according to the Hill. 

“It does pretty much come down to ‘Well, he’s done a pretty good job, but he’s just too old,’” the senator claimed.

Vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who is up for reelection this year, told the Hill that Democrats “got to be concerned about those poll numbers, you just do.”

“There’s plenty of time to get them back up. Whether he can or not, I just don’t know but you got to be concerned,” he added. 

Biden’s average approval rating on Real Clear Politics pings at 42 percent, while a CBS/YouGov poll released Sunday morning showed his approval rating even lower, at 40 percent versus 60 percent who are unhappy with his performance. The poll was conducted between September 5-8 among 2,335 adults, and the margin of error (MOE) is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. 

Tester, who beat out Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) by 3.5 percentage points in 2018, signaled he was distancing himself from Biden as he heads into a contentious reelection battle that will play a substantial role in deciding the next Senate majority.

“The president is always a factor but I don’t think it’s a factor that’s going to make much of a difference for me,” he told the Hill of the presidential election influencing races down the ballot, including his own. “We tend to do our own thing.” 

His move away from Biden mirrors the messaging of some vulnerable House Democrats in swing districts, who have worked to distance themselves from the president, especially in regard to his “Bidenomics” branding. 

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