You know Joe Biden’s approval ratings are bad when even leftist media outlets like CNN are talking about it. Eventually, the news gets bad enough and becomes so blatantly obvious that the media are guilted into reporting on stories that they would otherwise sweep under the rug.
This was one of those examples. On Wednesday afternoon’s CNN Newsroom, co-hosts Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell brought on CNN political director David Chalian to discuss the network’s poll showing Biden’s approval rating crashing to new lows. In other words, it's an assignment few at CNN would ever want to deliver.
Chalian dissected the results of the poll with stunning candor for CNN:
16% say they approve strongly, but more than double that, 34%, say they disapprove strongly. So the intensity is on the side of those who disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president and that, as you know, intensity can be a driving force in American politics. That is a bit of a warning sign. I would note, 33% of Democrats, only a third of his home team, approve strongly. So that passion issue is something they have to work on.
Perhaps showing how out of touch he and his fellow journos are, Chalian seemed stunned at the supermajority of Americans that disapprove of Biden’s stewardship of the economy:
We asked folks is, are these various things a major problem or a minor problem in the economy. 80%, major problem rising food costs. 79% say the supply disruption is a major problem. 77% say housing costs. I mean, these are huge majorities that are agreeing that these problems are major in today's economy and if you look at how Biden is seen on the economy, take a look here, guys. We tested his approval rating on a whole bunch of issues. Only coronavirus does he have majority support. 54% approval. Everything else he's underwater and helping the middle class and the economy, the things he ran on basically, he's at 45% approval, majorities disapprove.
Chalian has come a long way from his infamous comments on the eve of Joe Biden’s inauguration in which he gushed about how the lights at the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the American’s who died of COVID were “almost extensions of Joe Biden's arms embracing America!”
We won't give CNN too much credit as you could tell how uncomfortable Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell were the entire time. Throughout the segment, it was clear how they desperately wanted some good news for Biden.
Camerota hoped to glean some historical context, wondering if other presidents were in a similarly bad position. According to Chalian, her only consolation was that the only President who had a lower approval at this point was Donald Trump: “We know what happened in Donald Trump's first midterms in 2018. The Republicans got walloped. This is the concern Democrats have and why they'd like to see Biden boost his numbers in the weeks and months ahead before people head to the polls next fall.”
It's safe to say CNN will work extra hard to help Biden’s approval ratings recover.
This rare moment of honesty on CNN was brought to you by Humira and Carvana. Their contact information is linked.
Read the transcript below by clicking "expand":
CNN Newsroom With Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell
12/15/2021
2:31:42 PMVICTOR BLACKWELL: With less than a year until the midterm elections, a new CNN poll shows how Americans feel about the President and the economy.
ALISYN CAMEROTA: President Biden’s approval rating is 49% right now. 51% disapprove. Here to break down the numbers for us is CNN Political Director David Chalian. Ok David, so tell us what you see behind that approval and disapproval rating.
DAVID CHALIAN: Yeah. Well, one of the things we look at guys, is the intensity of how people feel. So we ask people, do you approve strongly, moderately? Disapprove strongly? Take a look here 16% say they approve strongly, but more than double that, 34%, say they disapprove strongly. So the intensity is on the side of those who disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as President and that, as you know, intensity can be a driving force in American politics. That is a bit of a warning sign. I would note, 33% of Democrats, only a third of his home team, approve strongly. So that passion issue is something they have to work on.
BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the economy and some of the biggest concerns there.
CHALIAN: Yeah. Well, take a look. We asked folks is, are these various things a major problem or a minor problem in the economy. 80%, major problem rising food costs. 79% say the supply disruption is a major problem. 77% say housing costs. I mean, these are huge majorities that are agreeing that these problems are major in today's economy and if you look at how Biden is seen on the economy, take a look here, guys. We tested his approval rating on a whole bunch of issues. Only coronavirus does he have majority support. 54% approval. Everything else he's underwater and helping the middle class and the economy, the things he ran on basically, he's at 45% approval, majorities disapprove.
CAMEROTA: Hmm, and David how do the respondents to the poll see Biden's policies impacting the economy?
CHALIAN: I think these may be some of the most troubling numbers, Alisyn, for the White House. 45% of those in this poll say that Biden's policies have worsened economic conditions. 25% say no effect. 30% say they've improved conditions and compare this to Barack Obama in 2009. The last time there was a Democratic President at the end of his first term. Now, remember, unemployment was more than double what it is now, but we didn't see the inflation that we're seeing now. Only 28% said then that Obama's policies were worsening economic conditions. This is a real delta here. 45% saying that for Biden. That is an area of concern.
BLACKWELL: Hmm. How about on the President's leadership? How do Americans view that?
CHALIAN: So Victor, We asked this broad question about how people view him. Is he, do you trust Biden as a leader or do you have some doubts or some reservations? It's 2-1 here. 66%, two-thirds of Americans have some doubts about his leadership. A third, 34% trust Biden as a leader. Again, I would note, in his home team, 36% of Democrats say they have some doubts. And when you, oh, there it is. 36% of Democrats have doubts. 75% of independents have doubts. 92% of Republicans. Again, this is, this is the folks that are supposed to be with you almost blindly. They've got some work to do even in their home turf.
CAMEROTA: David, can you give us some historical context for these numbers?
CHALIAN: Yeah, take a look here, if you stack him up against all his modern-day predecessors, Biden's here near the bottom. Only Donald Trump was lower in overall approval rating at this point, at the end of his first year of his presidency. And then you’re at Biden. So, we know what happened in Donald Trump's first midterms in 2018. The Republicans got walloped. This is the concern Democrats have and why they'd like to see Biden boost his numbers in the weeks and months ahead before people head to the polls next fall.
BLACKWELL: Hmm, very telling. David Chalian, thank you.
