It is starting to seem a little tired or cliche to say President Joe Biden says a lot of weird stuff.
Even though it is true. And at this point, we should probably kind of expect that weird words and sentences will come out of his mouth.
However, on Friday, he delivered comments about deficit reduction and made a bizarre claim. And if he believes what he said, it appears Democrats could be sleepwalking into an electoral catastrophe in November.
“Here’s what I think, the back and forth with them ahead, us ahead, them ahead, back and forth, and the polls have been all over the place,” Biden began. “I think we’re that going to see one more shift back to our side in the closing days.”
He went on:
“And let me tell you why I think that. We’re starting to see some of the good news on the economy. Gas prices are down — sharply — in 46 of the 50 states because of what I’ve been doing. We’re moving in the right direction, there’s more to come.”
Watch the video below:
BIDEN: Democrats will win in the midterms because "we're starting to see some of the good news on the economy." pic.twitter.com/dHFGyYbNkz
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 21, 2022
The president also touted low unemployment rates and a decrease in the deficit.
“The election is not a referendum. It’s a choice. It’s a choice. And Republicans can criticize my economic record. But look at what I inherited, and what I’ve done. And look what they’re offering,” he added.
You could pretty much take the last part of his comments and make it into the beginning of a campaign ad.
Indeed, the unemployment rate is low. But you know what is not low? The inflation rate. It was higher than expected in September, at 8.2%, and seems to show that higher prices are not going away anytime too soon.
And the average price for a regular gallon of gas is $3.82, according to AAA. That is down from a peak of $5. And it is lower than a week ago when the average sat at $3.90. However, it is still higher than the price a month ago and a year ago.
While Biden and the Democrats appear to be focusing on abortion and “MAGA Republicans,” polls seem to show their messaging is way off base for what is top of mind for Americans, which is the economy.
His comments appear to be some bizarre and tone-deaf misunderstanding of the pain Americans are facing. On paper, the economy may look good. But to many Americans, the economy does not feel like it is in good shape.
And you can’t just tell people the economy is great when they’re looking at their budgets and trying to figure out how to make ends meet. That concern is not driven by partisanship. It’s driven by their real-life experiences.
Perhaps Biden is hoping gas prices will start decreasing again and the mood will change as his latest release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve hits the market.
But with early voting already underway in several states, the clock is officially ticking for the mood about the economy, crime, and inflation to change and alter the course of the election.
