In an uncharacteristically honest segment on CNN’s New Day, anchor John Berman was forced to cover President Biden’s crumbling poll numbers on the economy and inflation.
During the Thursday segment, Berman brought on CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten to discuss the Biden Administration’s polling troubles. Before Enten spoke, Berman posed this question to him: “When we’re talking about Joe Biden in the economy and the polling on it, just how bad is it?”
His answer surely troubled the left-leaning anchor:
Terrible. Terrible. Look, historically, look, we can look at the net approval ratings on the economy since 1977 at this point in a presidency. And that's the approval minus the disapproval on the economy. Look at Joe Biden in 2021. Minus 15 points! He's well underwater. That is even lower than Jimmy Carter was in a CBS News "New York Times" poll at the beginning of January 1978 when he was at minus 8 points. You can see that Biden’s even worse than Trump and Obama were and they were in the negative territories at minus 4 points. When it comes to the economy, there is pretty much nothing good that can be said about Joe Biden's numbers when it comes to the American public.
Berman clearly was stunned by that response. Making a Jimmy Carter comparison is never a good thing, especially for a Democratic president. Naturally, Berman wanted some clarification. Berman wanted to know what more information Enten had which would’ve inspired the dreaded Carter comparison. Enten then obliged:
Look, here's the deal. Why were both of them so down in the trenches? And what you can see is if you ask folks about inflation, is inflation is a serious problem or concern. 84% of Americans say, yes, it is right now. Back in December of 1977 under Jimmy Carter, it was 79%. Inflation is something that can sink a presidency because it’s something that is felt by everybody.
Berman then went into spin mode for the White House by telling CNN viewers that the inflation American consumers are experiencing right now is “nothing compared to the inflation of the '70s and '80s.”
I’m sure this is comforting news to middle and lower-class Americans who are struggling to buy groceries for their families and to fill their gas tanks to get to and from work.
Toward the end of the segment, Berman wanted to cut to the chase and really drill down on the key takeaway from these polling results:
BERMAN: But just how bad are Biden’s numbers on inflation specifically?
ENTEN: Yeah if you look and you essentially ask folks do you approve of the job of Joe Biden handling of inflation? Look at this. 28 percent, 28 percent of Americans say that they approve of the job. And I think the biggest number in this table that sort of gives it away is just 54 percent of Democrats approve of the job he's doing on inflation. In this era of polarization, it's not surprising to see that only six percent of Republicans approve. But the fact that only 54 percent of Democrats approve, look, they are looking at the numbers, they are feeling in their pockets yeah historically if you look at the actual economic measures, perhaps it shouldn't be comparable to Carter. But when it comes to actually how folks are feeling, it clearly is.
BERMAN: 54 percent among Democrats that’s a problem. For the Biden Presidency.
Yeah, no kidding! Clearly, this is distressing news for CNN and their liberal viewers. Berman did his best to spin the results for his friends in the Biden Administration, but the numbers speak for themselves.
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To read the entire segment click “expand”:
New Day
12/23/2021
7:43:44 AM
JOHN BERMAN: So recent polling is showing that President Biden is struggling to instill confidence in the American public on some key issues. One of the most noticeable areas of concern is the economy. Joining us now CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten. When we’re talking about Joe Biden in the economy and the polling on it, just how bad is it?
HARRY ENTEN: Terrible. Terrible. Look, historically, look, we can look at the net approval ratings on the economy since 1977 at this point in a presidency. And that's the approval minus the disapproval on the economy. Look at Joe Biden in 2021. Minus 15 points! He's well underwater. That is even lower than Jimmy Carter was in a CBS News "New York Times" poll at the beginning of January 1978 when he was at minus 8 points. You can see that Biden’s even worse than Trump and Obama were and they were in the negative territories at minus 4 points. When it comes to the economy, there is pretty much nothing good that can be said about Joe Biden's numbers when it comes to the American public.
BERMAN: You brought up the Carter comparison there what more do you have on that?
ENTEN: Yeah. You know, look, here's the deal. Why were both of them so down in the trenches? And what you can see is if you ask folks about inflation, is inflation is a serious problem or concern. 84% of Americans say, yes, it is right now. Back in December of 1977 under Jimmy Carter, it was 79%. Inflation is something that can sink a presidency because it’s something that is felt by everybody. It was something that sunk Jimmy Carter. And at this particular point, although Joe Biden obviously has time to make it up, it's one of the big things that's keeping him right now in the gutter.
BERMAN: Yeah you know it is worth noting, by the way, that the inflation of right now is still nothing compared to the inflation of the '70s and '80s. The idea that Biden is doing even worse than Carter when it isn’t anywhere near like it was. But just how bad are Biden’s numbers on inflation specifically?
ENTEN: Yeah if you look and you essentially ask folks do you approve of the job of Joe Biden handling of inflation? Look at this. 28%, 28% of Americans say that they approve of the job. And I think the biggest number in this table that sort of gives it away is just 54% of Democrats approve of the job he's doing on inflation. In this era of polarization, it's not surprising to see that only 6% of Republicans approve. But the fact that only 54% of Democrats approve, look, they are looking at the numbers, they are feeling in their pockets yeah historically if you look at the actual economic measures, perhaps it shouldn't be comparable to Carter. But when it comes to actually how folks are feeling, it clearly is.
BERMAN: 54% among Democrats that’s a problem. For the Biden Presidency
(Crosstalk)
ENTEN: Just a little bit. Just a little bit of a problem.
BERMAN: It’s a problem and what Biden White House and the President are trying to do, is say hey you pass Build Back Better and that actually helps battle inflation. Are people buying that?
ENTEN: No, they're not buying it. And this is the problem. Which is you know you basically ask folks, you know would Build Back Better help fight or lower inflation? Just 35% of Americans are optimistic that it will. 51% are pessimistic. And I think this is the real disconnect going on right now in the Biden White House, which is essentially they are offering plans that they think will help the American public, and the American public is looking at those plans and they don't believe that they will. They think that Joe Biden's eye is not on the ball. And this has sort of been a consistent problem during his presidency at least in the last few months where he is offering solutions and the folks are just not buying that they are actual solutions.
