by Mish Shedlock, Mish Talk:
For half of America, I have a double dose of great news on statements from Biden and new polls.
Great News
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can—and as simply and straightforward as I can. I am running. I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. No one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving,” said president Biden today.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
Calls From Congress
NEW: Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are considering signing a letter demanding President Joe Biden withdraw from the race, a senior party official said, as panic mounts that he’ll cost them control of Congress https://t.co/uugMTij6Zk
— Bloomberg (@business) July 3, 2024
No doubt Biden’s statements were meant to stop that disclosure. Here are a few names.
- Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva joined Lloyd Doggett of Texas in publicly calling for Biden to step aside. Grijalva urged the president to “get out of this race.”
- “I reject the notion this was a bad night and everything’s OK,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat.
- On Tuesday, Biden called House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has been trying to quell the anxiety. Biden asked Jeffries to stave off calls for him to withdraw. Multiple sources declined to discuss the tone of the follow-up call between Biden and Jeffries.
In the Humor Department
Is this a Saturday Night Live skit?
Reporter: “How is it possible that Joe Biden would suffer from ‘jet lag’ two weeks after he got back from his trip…?”
Karine Jean-Pierre: “It’s the jet lag AND also the cold, right?”
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) July 3, 2024
What a hoot!
Trump Expands Lead Over Biden as Age Worries Grow
Please note a WSJ Poll shoes Trump Expands Lead Over Biden as Age Worries Grow
Key Poll Points
- Trump’s lead over Biden in a two-person matchup, 48% to 42%, is the widest in Journal surveys dating to late 2021 and compares with a 2-point lead in February.
- The share who say he is too old to run rose 7 points from the Journal’s survey in February. Some 34% now view the president in a favorable light, a low mark in Journal surveys, with 63% viewing him unfavorably. Less than 40% approve of his handling of inflation, immigration, the economy or his office overall.
- Nearly half of voters, some 47%, say they would replace both men on the ballot if they could and 53% say they aren’t enthusiastic about anyone running for president.
- Democrats show significant discontent with Biden as their nominee. Some 76% say he is too old to run this year, or about the same share as Republicans who hold that view. Two-thirds of Democrats would replace Biden on the ballot with another nominee.
- By contrast, 36% of Republicans say Trump is too old to run for the presidency, and one-third would replace him with another GOP candidate.
- The poll leaves little doubt that last week’s debate has weighed on the president’s image. Only 6% of those who watched the event or heard news of it said that Biden exceeded their expectations, compared with 46% who said so of Trump.
- One-third of voters, including 31% of independents, said the debate made them more likely to vote for Trump. A much smaller share, some 10% of voters, said they were more likely to back Biden as a result of the debate. They included 9% of independents.
- The new survey also includes warning signs for the Democratic Party as it tries this fall to retain control of the Senate and retake a majority in the House.
- By 3 percentage points, more voters say they would back a Republican rather than a Democrat for Congress. Both parties are viewed unfavorably. But negative views of the GOP outweigh positive ones by 10 points, while for Democrats the gap is 20 points.
Arrogant Obstinance
Despite what the polls say, despite what members of Congress say, and despite what the public clearly wants, Biden is staying in the race, willing to sink the party along with him.
As I have said all along, Biden is every bit as arrogant as Trump. He was just more polite about it. Proof is now easy to spot.
