CNN data expert Harry Enten said Democratic voters continue to support President Joe Biden despite his dismal debate performances and reports of his declining health.
Biden has come under fire from Democrats for stammering at least twice, losing his train of thought, appearing stiff and making multiple gaffes during his CNN debate with former President Donald Trump on Thursday night. Enten said polls since Thursday's debate have shown Biden's approval rating among voters is higher than that of two incumbents who dropped out of the race: then-President Harry S. Truman and Lyndon Baines Johnson. (Related: 'They don't believe it': MSNBC guest says House Democrats feel party faces 'existential threat')
“Overall, yes, the majority of Americans, Fifty-six percent say he should drop out of the race. But if you look at Democrats, this is Joe Biden's base,” Enten said. “The reason he's president is because they nominated him in 2020 and nominated him again in 2024. Sixty-six percent of Democrats say he shouldn't drop out of the race. And, of course, those Democrats will be pressuring their lawmakers, governors, officeholders and party officials to lobby Biden to drop out of the race.”
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'They don't want him to resign': CNN data expert says Democrats want Biden to stay sick pic.twitter.com/PlyOyyUiaO
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“But at this point, Democratic activists aren't necessarily going to put pressure on Joe Biden, because the fact is, the majority of Democrats, two-thirds, want Joe Biden to stay in the race,” Enten continued. “They don't want him to drop out of the race, Kate.”
Reuters/Ipsos vote In the July 1-2 poll Enten referred to, only 32% of Democrats wanted Biden to step down, while Democratic alternatives such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear trailed Trump, with former first lady Michelle Obama leading Trump 50% to 39%.
Biden is currently trailing Trump by 2.4 percentage points in head-to-head races nationwide. according to RealClearPolling polling average shows Trump leading Growing If independent candidates Cornel West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Green Party candidate Jill Stein are included, his approval rating comes to 3.8%. Biden has faced calls to drop out of the presidential race, including a public statement from Representative Lloyd Doggett, Democrat of Texas, but Enten said Biden's approval rating is better than that of two sitting presidents who withdrew from reelection.
“There have been two incumbents who could have run but decided to drop out – Harry S. Truman in 1952 and Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1968. So they dropped out before the nomination was decided – they dropped out in the middle of the primary,” Enten said. “The incumbent chose the candidate before dropping out. Harry S. Truman's approval rating in 1952 was well below 50 percent – just 31 percent. He lost the primary to Estes Kefauver, who got 35 percent. But 31 percent is a very, very, very low number.” (RELATED: MSNBC Data Expert Says Biden Polls Worst Against Trump Compared to Kamala Harris and Three Other Democrats)
“Right now, only 66% of Democrats want Joe Biden to continue in the race,” Enten continued. “That's up from just 31% for Truman in 1952. What about Lyndon Johnson in 1968? After RFK entered the race, he held a 44% lead in the Democratic primary. Look at this: LBJ only got 41% of the Democratic vote.. These numbers are far worse than the numbers Joe Biden currently faces among Democratic voters.”
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