Dems’ Biden dilemma: Avoid or embrace him?
Some turn away as others continue to embrace president
Sen. Mark Kelly, one of this year’s most vulnerable Democrats, wouldn’t say whether he wants President Joe Biden to campaign with him. “I’m focused on, right now, on things Arizonans care about, like the price of gasoline and groceries,” he said, tiptoeing around the question.
Sen. Raphael Warnock, another at-risk Democrat, similarly avoided a direct response, even though he appeared with Biden recently. “I know that the pundits are focused on the campaign. I really am focused on serving the people of Georgia,” he said, as he walked through the U.S. Capitol.
The comments by Kelly and Warnock — who represent states that Biden won narrowly but that have since turned away from him — reflect the attitudes of many Democrats wary of aligning too closely with the president ahead of tough elections.
Still, other Democrats in swing areas are more willing to embrace Biden. Rep. Elaine Luria, D -Va., who also sits on the front lines of the battle for Congress, did not hesitate to affirm her desire to have Biden’s help, saying she will “always welcome the president” and noting Biden’s victories in her state and district. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D -Nev., who is in a battleground contest of her own, sounded a similar note.
“He’s always welcome in my state, absolutely,” Cortez Masto said.
As Democrats gear up for a difficult midterm campaign, one of the biggest variables is Biden’s popularity, which has fallen sharply amid his struggles to contain the pandemic, rising prices and foreign policy crises. Clear majorities now disapprove of the job Biden is doing, triggering uncomfortable conversations in the party about how much to incorporate him into their campaigns and prompting a range of early responses from Democrats in hard races.
The president and his political team have begun mapping out his electionyear fundraising and travel schedule, and he has shown great interest in the midterms — for example, talking to Sen. Bob Casey, D -Pa., about the Pennsylvania race during a recent visit to the state, according to Casey. He also likes to hear from lawmakers traveling on Air Force One about what they are hearing and what they need, according to one Biden adviser, who, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to more freely discuss the midterm campaign.
Once seen as almost unique among Democrats for his ability to campaign even in conservative areas where most party leaders are unwelcome, Biden — like past presidents — has become a more polarizing figure since taking office. Many supporters are frustrated he has not accomplished more. All of it comes against the backdrop of cultural, social and ideological divisions that have deepened in recent years.
Republicans, while navigating their own midterm challenges with former president Donald Trump, said they intend to make Biden a centerpiece of their campaign against Democrats. “The message that works everywhere, and the message that’s most effective, is the failure of the Biden administration and Washington Democrats,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Chris Hartline.
These factors have spurred some Democrats to keep Biden at arm’s length for now. Midterm elections are influenced strongly by how voters feel about the sitting president, and many Democrats are trying to inoculate themselves by forging their own brands and even criticizing some of Biden’s actions.
“What’s going on on our southern border, at least in Arizona — no, it’s not been effective,” said Kelly when asked whether Biden has done a good job on immigration.
Several Democrats familiar with the thinking of vulnerable House members said these members are worried about the president’s poll numbers, and there is little appetite among them to have his arm around them during a photo op, according to one senior aide to a vulnerable Democratic member.
Yet there are Democrats who are not inclined to make a clean break with Biden. Some hope his numbers will rebound among Democrats and others who supported him in 2020, wagering that the pandemic will fade and views of the economy will improve. In just the past week, COVID infections fell, a report showed robust job growth and Biden announced a raid that led to the death of the leader of the Islamic State.
Other Democrats said voters would see through any attempt to run away from the head of their own party and voiced hope that Biden’s personal appeal can be an asset even if his job approval rating, now mired in the low 40s in public polls, isn’t helping. The best antidote, these Democrats said, is for Biden to promote his accomplishments more aggressively.
“Over the course of the spring and the summer, we’d love to see President Biden at 47 or 49 or 50 percent — and that will make all the difference in those elections,” said Rep. Don Beyer, D -Va., who oversees fundraising for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “He’s still a very likable, understandable human being. The people loved or hated Donald Trump, but they don’t hate Joe Biden.”
In recent weeks, some Democratic candidates have opted not to appear with Biden, prompting Republicans to say they are avoiding him. On Biden’s trip to Georgia for a major voting rights speech, gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was not there, citing a scheduling conflict. When Biden visited Pittsburgh, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a candidate for Senate, hadn’t intended to join him because of plans to be at a forum in Harrisburg, according to a Fetterman aide. But he ended up appearing with the president after a bridge collapsed that morning.
Fetterman’s campaign pointed to comments the Senate hopeful made calling Biden “an enormous asset” on the campaign trail.
Operatives in both parties said they do not anticipate that Biden will be the only factor in Senate races. Beyond the unique contours of each state, some Republicans worry that controversial or untested candidates may hurt their chances. Some are also concerned about Trump, fearing his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen could distract from inflation, crime and other issues resonating with swing voters this year.
Over the course of the spring and the summer, we’d love to see President Biden at 47 or 49 or 50 percent — and that will make all the difference in those elections. He’s still a very likable, understandable human being.”
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.