Not to pile on or anything . . . . but this is higher than I expected.
Yikes
More than half, 65%, of voters think the country is heading in the
wrong direction, according to a poll
$$ The New York Times and Siena College published Saturday.
Why it matters: Just under half of those surveyed, 43%, believe President
Joe Biden's policies have hurt them personally — which isn't particularly encouraging news for the Democratic frontrunner likely to face off against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Between the lines: "The poll offers an array of warning signs for the president about weaknesses within the Democratic coalition, including among women, Black and Latino voters," The Times reports
$$. "So far, it is Mr. Trump who has better unified his party, even amid an ongoing primary contest."
- The shares of Democratic primary voters who said Biden should be the nominee (46%) and those who said he shouldn't (45%) are roughly equal. Among Democrats under 45, opposition was even stronger.
Context: The New York Times identified as one of the "more ominous findings" for Biden that "the historical edge Democrats have held with working-class voters of color who did not attend college continues to erode."
- While Biden got 72% of that group in 2020 exit polling, up almost 50 points above Trump, the recent poll had Biden leading only slightly, 47% compared to Trump's 41%.
