We don’t know exactly which Democratic Congressman said Biden’s numbers are in the toilet and called for a course change since they said it anonymously to NBC News, but the view is shared by several members stuck in tough re-election battles around the country.
The sentiment seems to be shared within and around the Democratic Party that President Biden is stuck in this machine rotating around him and he’s unable to move any lever or push any button to make it operate differently.
High gas prices? Biden’s got a plan for that. Inflation? Another plan with a five-pronged attack. The problem is that plans are meaningless without support in Congress from Democrats in the Senate, something Biden hasn’t been able to coalesce.
So says this article from NBC News, the latest in a string of bi-weekly “alarm” stories citing anonymous Democratic sources attacking Biden for his own shortcomings and fearing impending loss in November:
Inside the White House, though, advisers grasp that what’s required aren’t just plans, but votes. The 50-50 split in the Senate between the parties has proved an insurmountable obstacle for Biden’s grandest ambitions — to expand the social safety net in ways that insulate the most vulnerable Americans from economic shocks.
“He has to change course,” said a Democratic congressman, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of upsetting the White House. “His numbers are in the toilet. Whatever he’s doing is not working.”
A perennial complaint from Biden’s Democratic critics is that he hasn’t capitalized on the platform he commands as president.
“There’s a benefit to having the president out there every day using his executive power to show the country you’re fighting for them,” the Democratic lawmaker said. “And it’s almost like he’s hiding. He has the bully pulpit, and he’s either hiding behind it or under it. I don’t know where he is.”
It’s arguable that Biden’s not hiding behind or under the bully pulpit, he’s been using it.
The problem is that he doesn’t know how to use it effectively or use it from a position of strength. Every statement and speech is about blame-passing whether it’s on inflation, gas prices, or the price of bacon going up.
Nothing is Biden’s fault, in his own opinion, but he doesn’t seem to be able to convince the American people of that view.
Don’t worry though, Democrats, as with every hit-piece from NBC or CNN like this, there’s always some great plan about to come together in the White House that’ll turn things around just in time:
Biden and other administration officials intend to draw a stark contrast between the parties in the coming months in hopes of awakening voters to how their personal rights will be imperiled if Republicans seize control of Congress. To the extent that Biden can drive home the message that the court’s conservative majority was built by former President Donald Trump and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, he can demonstrate the enormous stakes in the upcoming elections.
“You will see them [Biden administration officials] having a sharper message as we get close to the fall,” one Biden ally said. “That message will revolve around painting the Republican Party as extreme and doing things that are actively hurting peoples’ lives. Is there a strong enough message now? Probably not. But they know that.”
That’s perhaps the only strategy the Biden administration has left to push. They have nothing to sell other than the narrative the Republicans are “too extreme” to control Congress, just look at that abortion ruling! That will work with some voters, but those voters won’t need the White House to convince them.
The fear for Democrats will be the long amount of time between now and November. Some of that anger will die down a bit but Biden’s bad economic policies and gas prices will continue, and that’s the issue Americans see in front of them every single day.
The other problem is that Biden seems to lack urgency on everything except a passing ice cream truck:
“There needs to be urgency and action,” said Rebecca Kirszner Katz, who was an aide to the late Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid. “Folks have been saying since the day Joe Biden was elected that we need to move fast. There are a lot of things we need to get done for the American people.”
As far as urgency goes, Biden’s presidency has been one that lets things happen, then reacts to blame others, then offers no solution after it happens. This scenario has played out a half-dozen times since the Afghanistan debacle last summer.
Nothing that Biden’s team is warned about in advance seems worth looking into until it turns into a crisis. That’s a symptom of inexperience and denialism in the White House not wishing to upset the apple cart.
Either way, Democrats are fretting over Biden, but they’ve been fretting for months. Maybe this next great White House plan will work to finally make some headway. Don’t bet the farm on it.
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