The odds continue to favor a Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden general election, the match-up many voters have long dreaded – but the recent special counsel report on Biden’s mishandling of classified documents and his failing memory is a new wrinkle to be taken seriously. Is it the last straw for Biden? Does it give the Democratic Party’s cognoscenti the ammunition they need to convince the president not to run? If Biden stays in, is there any way he can still win?
Add up everything – polls, issues, and public perceptions that Biden is too old – and the Democratic president is clearly in deep trouble. Trump leads him in most national and swing state polls. Only 34% of voters in the recent CNN survey believe Biden “deserves reelection,” while 66% say he doesn’t.
Another drag on the Democratic ticket is Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, who has a dismal positive rating of 28%.
On policy issues, according to the latest NBC News poll, Trump beats Biden on “securing the border and controlling immigration” by a towering 35 points. It’s a wonder that Democrats, who’ve had the White House for three years, have allowed this issue to spin so far out of control. It’s yet to be seen if Republican maneuvering over recent border legislation, nakedly partisan as it was, changes the dynamic.
