Democrats ‘Outright Worry’ About Huge Losses in Midterms

US President Joe Biden departs the White House in Washington, DC, on July 6, 2022. - Presi
Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images
Wendell Husebø

Democrats fear President Joe Biden is out of ideas, and time, to change the Democrat party’s downward trajectory before the November midterms.

With 40-year-high inflation, soaring gas prices, a southern border invasion, and supply chain woes occurring under Biden’s watch, Politico reported that Democrats fear huge losses in November. According to June polling, Democrats trail Republicans on the generic ballot by nine points.

Fearing the loss of both the House and Senate, Democrats have demanded Biden “adopt a sharper message ahead of the midterms” to stem Republican momentum, but the White House has not responded.

“Through it all, there’s been a general and growing dissatisfaction with the White House’s response. That budding frustration, relayed by three party officials familiar with the meetings’ contents, has morphed into outright worry,” the article read. “And it’s surfaced elsewhere in recent weeks.”

Biden’s inaction has caused Democrats to worry that the president is out of ideas, and now time, to mitigate the challenges American voters are facing under his leadership. “Underlying it all is a concern that Biden and his team are not just out of fresh ideas, but increasingly out of time to turn around their flagging poll numbers before the midterms,” the article continued.

Democrats have reportedly attempted over and over again to find solutions to Biden’s crises by prodding officials for detailed plans on how to rebuild the economy, along with how to message strategies to properly combat 40-year-high inflation. Democrats are asking for more than past actions, they want “to see a clear demonstration of new actions from the White House,” the article said. “Don’t just tell us what you’ve done, is how a person familiar with the meetings characterized the feeling among governors, because what you’ve done isn’t exactly working.”

The Democrats’ fear of midterm losses due to Biden’s leadership comes as polling indicates Democrats are turning on Biden. Just 64 percent of Democrats approve of Biden, down from 88 percent since last July. Biden’s approval has dropped a full five points since June 20. In contrast, former President Donald Trump held an approval rating among Republicans that hovered around 90 percent for years until January 12, dropping to 85 percent just before leaving office.

Biden has few defenders. But those allies have stated Democrats need to stay united behind Biden’s leadership. “The Democratic Party needs to rally around President Biden heading into the midterms and heading into the president’s re-election,” Khanna told the New York Times. “If people have constructive ideas, they should share them. But they should do it in a spirit of strengthening this president’s hand.”

“It’s nice for Democratic leaders to come up with ideas,” Cedric Richmond, adviser to the president, also told the Times. “But if the ideas are illegal or if they don’t work or if they place people in more harm, he’s not going to do it.”

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter and Gettr @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.

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