OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
American voters hold a negative perception of the term “Bidenomics” and believe that President Joe Biden’s promotion of it could potentially benefit former President Donald Trump in the upcoming fall election.
The strategy was seen as risky from the outset, given historical examples like the use of “Reaganomics” against the incumbent president. Despite this, Biden’s team remained optimistic about the possibility of giving the term a positive spin, with the president himself suggesting it could be synonymous with the “American Dream,” the Washington Examiner reported.
However, in the most recent Rasmussen Reports survey released on Thursday morning, likely voters did not express confidence in “Bidenomics.”
According to the survey, voters believed by a margin of 44 percent to 26 percent that the term would actually assist Trump, rather than Biden, in “winning” the fall election. A significant portion, 23 percent, felt that it would not have any impact on the election’s outcome.
The pollster also found that the term ‘Bidennomics’ actually reminded voters of how much better off they were during the Trump years.
A near majority, 48 percent, said that Biden’s economic policies are worse than Trump’s. Some 38 percent said the opposite, the Examiner reported, citing the survey.
When simply asked their view of Bidenomics, a majority gave it a negative response. Asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of ‘Bidenomics’?” 51 percent said that they disapprove, while 42 percent said they approve.
Democrats in crucial 2024 swing states were never in love with the term, but a report in early December said they have all but abandoned it as the current election cycle heats up.
Biden trotted out the phrase earlier this year after claiming it was first coined by members of the media. NBC News reported, “But early on, it became clear that the phrase wasn’t resonating with voters, and by the end of November, Biden had only used the phrase once since the start of the month.”
However, the network says the phrase never actually caught on with House Democrats.
A study of online posts and congressional office press releases revealed that as many as 18 out of the 19 Democrats representing seats classified as “Toss Up” or “Lean Democrat” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and seeking re-election have never utilized the term “Bidenomics.”
“The lone battleground Democrat who has used the term ‘Bidenomics’ is Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, who used a graphic on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the words ‘Bidenomics works,’ when noting monthly job growth figures,” NBC News added.
Nevertheless, Republicans running for those light-blue seats are attempting to saddle incumbent Democrats with the term including Joe Kent, a Republican running for Congress in Washington’s 3rd District against incumbent Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. He recently said in a post on X that “Perez-Bidenomics is driving up drug costs.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the House GOP conference chair, also has pledged to saddle House Democrats with the term, writing on X this week, “Make no mistake House Democrats own #Bidenomics.”
According to most polling, Americans are not keen on the economy amid higher prices for everything they buy, and most blame Biden for inflation, high-interest rates, and rising home prices.
In late October, for instance, a poll found that only 39 percent of voters in four key swing states—Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina—have confidence in the president’s ability to handle the economy, RealClearPolitics reported.
Steve Cortes, the chairman and founder of the League of American Workers, said in a column posted to the site that the reason 77 percent of the voters surveyed said that the nation is on the wrong track is because of the economy.
Of the 39 percent that had a favorable opinion of the president’s handling of the economy, a mere 9 percent said they gave him “strong approval.”
