If you’ve been following politics in recent days, you’ve probably encountered stories about Democrats feeling optimistic heading into the November midterm elections.
Top Congressional Democrats are predicting that they will keep the House. Meanwhile, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is apparently nervous about Republicans’ chances of flipping control of the Senate.
However, President Joe Biden’s re-emergence on the public stage may threaten the boost Democrats have been seeing.
On Monday, Biden suffered a couple of embarrassing gaffes.
“You know how much I’m reducivethedefcit this year? One trillion five hundred thousand!” Biden shouted.
He seemed to mean, “You know how much I’m reducing the deficit.”
Watch the video below:
Joe Biden attempts to say “reduce the deficit.” pic.twitter.com/otX4ixGYIX
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 5, 2022
Later in the speech, Biden said, “God bless you all, and may God prect our troops! [sic]”
He appears to have truncated the word “protect.”
Biden: "God bless you all and may God prect our troops." pic.twitter.com/AvzjQv65jW
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 5, 2022
RealClearPolitics’ average of polls shows Democrats hold a razor thin lead over Republicans on the generic ballot question.
That comes after Democrats pushed through their climate, tax, and healthcare bill, a gun control package, and a bill investing in the domestic production of semiconductors. At the same time, gas prices have fallen, and inflation dipped from its high of 9.1% in June. And Biden announced he would cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for certain borrowers.
Meanwhile, gone are stories about Biden’s age, competence, and fitness to run again in 2024. And instead, stories about an FBI investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office have burst into the mainstream.
All of those factors seem to be giving Democrats a much-needed boost as the campaign season really starts to get underway. But there’s one important factor missing from all of that: In August, Biden essentially disappeared from the public eye.
Over the summer, Democrats essentially got what they wanted: Parts of their wishlist, no Trump in the Oval Office, and student loan cancellation.
Biden was never their favorite candidate or one who they really want to be their standard bearer in 2024. And in August, they got a break from him shouting gibberish and looking old and frail and confused. Meanwhile, the media pivoted its attention to Trump, which ginned up Democrats’ energy to try to stop a return of the tangerine menace.
And that gave the president all the fuel he needed to deliver a disturbing speech in which he labeled millions of “MAGA Republicans” a threat to the country.
But now that Biden appears to have decided that Democrats need him back in the spotlight again, Americans — particularly independents — might quickly start to remember all the awkward and vexing moments that led his approval rating to fall into the 30s in the early part of the summer. And if gas prices creep back up, those two factors might blunt Democrats’ momentum heading into November.
