Asked for their opinion of Joe Biden, some Democrats who saw him speak in Arlington said they were “indifferent”, others claimed to have “no view”
It would have been awkward had he not, given how many Democratic big-hitters have flooded the state as the contest between Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin has tightened. But no one expected the increasingly troubled president to move many votes. Even the irrepressible Mr McAuliffe, a force field of positivity and Mr Biden’s friend for 40 years, admits that he is unpopular in the commonwealth. This was implicit in the arrangements made for the presidential visit.
As Mr Biden’s approval ratings have dived in recent months, solid arguments have been offered in his defence. Most presidents lose support in their first year, as the thermostatic nature of public opinion asserts itself. And indeed his descent from 56% approval after his inauguration to the low 40s today is similar to the slides Barack Obama and Donald Trump suffered.
In Arlington Mr Biden again focused, in his shouty way, on his predecessor. “Remember this: I ran against Donald Trump and Terry is running against an acolyte of Donald Trump!” The limits of that message were exposed in the general election, not only by Mr Trump’s robust losing performance, but also by how little damage other Republican candidates suffered by association. And the former president is even less of a bogie today.
Among his recent predecessors, only Bill Clinton has staged a major public-opinion comeback in peacetime, and he had the advantages of an excellent economy and quicksilver political skills. Mr Biden has neither. He is above all tied to covid-19, the sort of fundamental that is far more determinative of political success or failure than most coverage suggests. Political performance tends to be less of a factor; but there too Mr Biden is in trouble.
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