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Veteran Pollster Sabato Says Race Between Biden, Trump ‘No Longer Close’

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato said during a CNN segment on Friday that the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is “no longer close” while dismissing the idea that the former could make up much ground doing an interview with ABC News or some rallies to tighten the gap.

“I don’t think [President Biden] can change the dynamic with one interview,” he said. “I suppose you’d say stop the bleeding and the bleeding has been bad. I mean, we’ve been looking at all the data coming in, all the surveys — some public, some private — and it’s bad. Democrats need to understand that things are not stable and it is no longer close. The race between Biden and Trump is no longer close.”

“Just take the four last week, including CNN’s poll — all of them were in agreement, which you rarely see even with well-conducted polls: Biden, who was really maybe even, maybe two points behind Trump, is now — at least in unison in these polls — six points behind,” Sabato added. “That’s millions and millions of voters. And what is it that’s going to restore them? A good interview, a good rally? Come on.”

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Meanwhile, Biden has declared that he is staying in the presidential race against former President Donald Trump, but that does not appear to be what voters want.

A Rasmussen Reports poll shared on Friday is disastrous news for both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The poll showed that 55 percent of those asked want the president to withdraw from the presidential election. Another 50 percent said that Democrats should pick someone new, not Harris, as his replacement.

“Importantly, nearly half (48%) of Democratic voters at least somewhat agree that Biden should step aside and let the Democratic Party choose another candidate,” the poll said.

Another poll, from Cygnal, was also tragic news for the Democrats as voters scorched the president’s debate performance and showed no confidence in the vice president.

“Post-debate, we’ve seen the largest single month-over-month movement towards Republicans across-the-board, from R+0 to R+4, in the history of our national polling,” Cygnal President Brent Buchanan said. “President Biden’s image worsened to 62% having an unfavorable view of him after 67% of respondents said they watched his disastrous debate performance.”

“Trump’s performance earned him 4 points of undecided debate-watchers and another 3 points from those who were Biden supporters heading into the debate. There’s little question this has further eroded the political environment for Democrats,” he said.

But even as his polling remains dismal, the president has maintained that he will not step aside.

Biden made another blunder when he declared at a rally in Wisconsin that he is still the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

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“There’s been a lot of speculation: What’s Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out?” he said to the crowd in a 17 minute speech.

“Here’s my answer: I’m running and going to win again,” he said before having a brain freeze. “I will beat Donald Trump,” he said. “I will beat him again in 2020.”

“I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party,” Biden went on in his halting speech to a crowd that had gathered in a middle school gym. “You voted for me to be your nominee — no one else.

“Some folks don’t seem to care who you voted for. Guess what? They are trying to push me out of the race. Let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race,” the president said.

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