Former President Barack Obama will speak to the House Democratic Caucus virtually on Thursday, which comes amid a nightmarish drop and new low in President Joe Biden’s approval ratings across an average of surveys. Writes Jon Dougherty
Two sources familiar with Obama’s appearance told NBC News the meeting was set up by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
“Obama, who has kept his public appearances to a minimum since leaving office, will participate in a keynote discussion with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., one of the sources said,” according to the outlet.
“Obama’s remarks will come as Democrats are navigating a wave of retirements and facing a difficult midterm election this fall, as the approval ratings of President Joe Biden — who served as Obama’s vice president for eight years — have fallen,” NBC News noted further.
According to Fox News, a new average of polls show Biden’s approval rating beneath 40 percent for the first time since he took office in January 2021.
“A Real Clear Politics average of all the most recent national surveys measuring Biden’s standing put the president’s approval at 39% and his disapproval at 54%,” the news network reported online.
There are a number of issues and crises that are weighing down the president’s job approval numbers:
Biden has also found himself at the center of a Russia-Ukraine border conflict in Europe. Last month, Biden predicted Russian President Vladimir Putin would advance into Ukraine, saying, “My guess is he will move in. He has to do something.”
Biden continues to take heat from Americans over rising gas prices, leading his own party to introduce a proposal to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax in order to help blunt the financial pain of surging prices at the pump.
Other costs, including energy bills, are also having an impact on Americans. New York residents say their bills have doubled in the latest wrinkle to red-hot inflation.
While American wage earners saw their take-home pay rise the most in 40 years during former President Donald Trump’s term, thanks to a booming job market and his signature tax cuts, but those wage increases have been wiped out thanks to continually rising prices.
Gas prices especially have hit consumers’ pocketbooks hard. Fox Business reported earlier this week that prices have risen steadily over each of the past six weeks after jumping roughly a dollar or more a gallon, on average, during Biden’s first year in office.
“The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas increased to $3.42 on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s latest data. The national average is already up 12.3 cents compared to a month ago and 97.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy,” the business network reported.
Food prices have also continued to climb.
In addition to Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris’ approval ratings have tanked as well.
According to an I&I/TIPP poll released in early December, barely one-third of Democrat respondents said they want Biden to run for reelection.
The numbers get worse when it comes to Dem-leaning Independents.
“But only 8% of independents and other non-major party voters also want Biden back as Democratic standard-bearer,” TIPP noted.
“And 10% want Harris, not Biden. For Biden, that suggests near non-existent support among independents, the swing voters who make up a third or more of all those who go to the polls each election,” the survey added.
“Even Democrats seem less than enthused about Biden holding the top spot. Just 37% want him there,” the poll revealed.
“And only 16% give Harris the nod as presidential standard-bearer, alarming given that Vice President Harris is next in line to be president should Biden not complete his term in office,” the survey continued.
TIPP concluded:
With no one else getting even more than low single-digit support, the 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be a wild one for the Democrats – at least at this early point in the game. Much will depend, of course, on the perceived success of Biden’s policies over the next two years.
