Many Americans simply do not like a potential race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. They are certainly not inspired by the two, according to a new poll that asks whether voters approve of Biden and Trump running again.
Both candidates scored poorly in the survey, and it may mean that the electorate is open to new faces.
Trump vs. Biden: What Are the Numbers?
A new poll by The Economist and YouGov concluded bad news for both campaigns. Biden has not officially announced his re-election effort, but he is expected to do so soon. Trump is already running. The voters are skeptical.
Fifty-six percent of Americans are against President Joe Biden running again in 2024, compared to 54 percent who oppose former President Donald Trump’s campaign. That means over half of Americans disapprove of both candidates, if one can extrapolate the results to the entire electorate.
This rematch could see lower voter turnout, apathy, and an overall bad attitude from voters. Trump is likely fine with a lower turnout, but Biden needs the entire liberal coalition of progressives, moderates, minorities, young people, union workers, and elites on both coasts to win again.
It is not clear if he enjoys the same support that he had with these groups in 2020.
Trump has his own coalition to worry about. High school educated males, evangelical conservatives, Reagan Republicans, and senior citizens must turn out in huge numbers if he is to return to the White House.
Many People Are Less Than Excited
The poll found that only 26 percent approved of a Biden run while 17 percent said they were unsure. This sample of around 1,500 people also graded Biden with a 42 percent approval rating. Trump had more enthusiasm for his campaign with 34 percent preferring him on the ticket and 12 percent admitted they were not sure.
New and old candidates are slowly tiptoeing into the race for president. Biden has a foe who is willing to primary him – Marianne Williamson, a spiritual life coach and author. She enters the race as a long shot with low name recognition despite a previous White House run in 2020.
However, Williamson received some good news from The Economist/YouGov poll – 24 percent of Democrats approved of her. That is low, to be sure, but one in four people who don’t hate you can sometimes be seen as a good thing.
Another underdog on the Republican side is Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and best-selling writer. Ramaswamy is a youthful and inspiring speaker with an interesting back story, but ordinary GOP voters have never heard of him.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is in the race and on the move – campaigning in South Carolina, Iowa, and New Hampshire. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence are expected to join her. Haley and Pence are polling in the single digits. DeSantis has performed much better, but Trump leads him in many surveys.
The Democrats may just have to hold their noses and vote for Biden. Upper tier candidates such as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg are unlikely to take the presidential race plunge.
Senators Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar don’t have the stomach for another bite at the apple
Trump is the front runner, and he still has those who hate him and love him passionately. He polls well among Republicans and has tagged DeSantis with the nickname “DeSantimonious” for once being a Trump acolyte who has strayed from the path to become a Trump rival.
The moniker is sticking, and DeSantis is enduring negative attacks from Trump without responding and this could bury him before his campaign even starts.
So that could result in a Biden-Trump rematch. It won’t be pretty, especially a redo of the dreadful presidential debates when the candidates were at each other’s throats incessantly and rarely talked about solving the country’s problems. Both are old. Both are despised by many. And both have underwater approval ratings. It will be a race that could keep more voters at home and may leave many with a bad taste in their mouths.
The American people will just have to muddle through a Trump-Biden race if it happens.
MORE: Could Joe Biden Pardon Hunter Biden?
MORE: Kamala Harris Is Just a Disaster
MORE: Joe Biden’s Biggest Weakness
MORE: Donald Trump Has a New Russia Problem
MORE: Liz Cheney Looks Lost
Author Expertise and Experience: Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.
