The matchup pits a septuagenarian against an octogenarian. Both candidates' approval ratings have languished for years. Perennially negative media narratives of both men augur the dread shaping the electorates political psyche.
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The erosion of women's reproductive rights(opens in a new tab) is accelerating; a broken immigration system is pushing some states to the brink of economic collapse; war and global conflict are intensifying; all the while, democracy(opens in a new tab) at home hangs in the balance. Now, the fate of it all is in the hands of a politician many see as past his expiration date, or a morally bankrupt narcissist hell-bent on vengeance.
Poll(opens in a new tab) after poll(opens in a new tab) has shown voters checking this matchup. As evidence, former President Donald Trump perennially underperformed polling expectations in all early primary states. Furthermore, an Emerson Poll(opens in a new tab) shows 63% of Nikki Haley voters say they will support President Biden over Donald Trump in the general election in November.
This all comes as the former commander-in-chief is weeks away from facing off in criminal court against the Manhattan D.A. Juxtapose Trump's myriad challenges with President Biden's floundering approval ratings and steady drumbeat of protests to his Administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and it is clear voters see their choices as stark, at best.
Even amid overwhelming victories, red flags for both candidates abound. President Biden is now the first incumbent in 44 years to lose a primary (opens in a new tab) (President Jimmy Carter lost in 1980), even after securing more than 80% of the vote in nearly all of his wins.
Stratospheric fundraising numbers posted by the Biden campaign certainly makes him a formidable candidate. Yet, the bulk of those resources will be used to boost anemic approval ratings and fight to win back “Uncommitted” voters in key states like battleground Michigan and nearby Minnesota. Such persistent struggles further erode enthusiasm and support for an incumbent seeking a second term.
Compounding voter apathy is the persistent criminal uncertainty of GOP nominee, Donald Trump. Jury selection(opens in a new tab) begins March 25 in a Manhattan courtroom for just one of four criminal trials in which if he were to be found guilty (in all cases), he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Prior indictments and massive judgments were political props expertly choreographed and deployed by the former reality television star to animate and energize his MAGA base of supporters.
Ironically, the more popular Trump became with each indictment and courtroom appearance, the more uncertain general election voters, particularly suburban voters, have become his prospects in November. Not to mention manifold questions the specter of criminal liability poses for the fate of the nation should he actually get elected.
Now the rematch, four years in the making, is set. Uncertainty is ubiquitous. Weariness is pervasive. An electorate completely demoralized. American democracy, that grand tricentennial experiment, is on the brink and voters are unclear how to process this moment in time.