Democrats keep doing surprisingly well in special elections. The party’s most vulnerable Senate incumbents are running ahead of their rivals in key battleground states. One of Democrats’ signature issues — reproductive rights — has repeatedly proved a winning message.

And yet Joe Biden is struggling to pull even with Donald Trump.

It’s another ominous sign for the president: Even as other Democrats are running strong, the party’s down-ballot successes aren’t translating into momentum at the top of the ticket. Biden trails Trump in many of the states he needs to win to keep the White House. His job approval is underwater. And the coalition of voters that ushered him into office four years ago is fraying.

“Democrats are enthusiastic about trying to win the Senate and trying to win the House,” said Neil Oxman, a Pennsylvania-based Democratic strategist.

And they’re “not enthusiastic about Biden’s reelection,” Oxman said. “Period.”

  • Soup@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    I remember, and maybe I misunderstood, when he was up against Biden last time and the biggest issue he had was that Elizabeth Warren’s similar message split votes. She was clearly losing but for some reason stayed in and siphoned votes away from him just long enough for him to back out.

    More people wanted either Sanders or Warren than wanted Biden but ya’ll ended up with Biden. We have the same problem here in Canada where more vastly more people hate the Conservatives than support them and yet that party always ends up dangerously close to gaining power.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      They’re definitely was a lot of overlap on interests. But that doesn’t automatically equate to siphoned off votes. There were a not insignificant number of people who were direct fans of things Warren has pushed for and accomplished. That would not automatically have translated over to sanders. We can speculate that a large number would. But as stated that would be speculation. We could speculate as to why Warren didn’t drop out. But again that would be speculation. However I don’t think that she had anything to gain or owed any allegiance to party leadership to just stay in as a spoiler. Far more likely it was just good old wishful thinking and hubris on her part. It could happen to any of us.

        • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          The first thing Just quickly off the top of my head Period the consumer Financial Protection Bureau was her baby.

          The fact that Warren herself is a former republican. I disagree with her on a ton of shit. But I still have to respect her for some of the things she’s done. I think she’s wrong and misguided. But she definitely tries to do good/help in her eyes. And the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is absolutely a good thing.