11.08.21

Most Americans Say President Biden Has The Wrong Priorities For The Country

In Spite Of Polling Showing Large Majorities Of Americans Disapprove Of The Priorities Of President Biden And Democrats In Congress, And In The Wake Of An Unmistakable Rebuke From Voters, With Even The New York Times Editorial Board Recognizing Democrats Have Moved Too Far Left, Democrats Have Decided To Change Nothing And Double Down On Their Reckless Taxing-And-Spending Agenda

SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “I think what we can safely say about New Jersey and, to some extent, in Virginia, it was a referendum on the popularity of the Biden administration and what they are trying to do. I would argue that had they already passed this reckless tax and spending bill, they would have lost worse. I think what the American people are saying is don’t do that. Don’t double down on taxation and spending. The American people have had enough of all of this excess and I think they sent a message yesterday: Stop! That’s the message that should be taken by the Democrats out of [last week’s] elections…. I think [Speaker] Pelosi and [Sen.] Schumer and the president will argue that what people are really saying is, ‘why don’t you get this done’. I think that’s a misinterpretation of what happened ... I don’t think it was about the Democrats’ failure to do it. I think it was because people didn’t like that they were trying to do it and getting a result on this massive reckless tax and spending bill is not going to improve their position with the American people.” (Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” 11/03/2021)

  • “It says everything about today’s Democratic Party that House Democrats held our country’s basic infrastructure hostage for months over a reckless taxing and spending spree that would hurt families and help China. The radical left refused to fund America’s roads and bridges unless they got to advance a multi-trillion-dollar nightmare that would make inflation even worse, hammer Americans with tax hikes, make us more dependent on less affordable energy, and let the same woke bureaucrats who don’t want parents involved in education extend their reach into infancy and early childhood. Clearly Washington Democrats have ignored the statement that voters made on Tuesday and may need to relearn the same lessons next year.” (Sen. McConnell, Press Release, 11/06/2021)

 

A CNN Poll Finds A Strong Majority Of Americans Say President Biden Hasn’t Had The Right Priorities For The Country

“One year out from the 2022 midterm elections, 58% of Americans say President Joe Biden hasn’t paid enough attention to the nation’s most important problems, as a majority disapproves of the way he’s handling his job as President, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.” (“CNN Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Biden Isn’t Paying Attention To Nation’s Most Important Issues,” CNN, 11/08/2021)

“All told, 48% of adults approve of the way Biden is handling the job while 52% disapprove. Intensity within those ratings breaks sharply against the President. The share saying they strongly approve of Biden’s performance has dropped to just 15%, down from 34% in April.” (“CNN Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Biden Isn’t Paying Attention To Nation’s Most Important Issues,” CNN, 11/08/2021)

Across Party Lines, Respondents Pointed To The Economy As A Top Issue Or The Most Important Issue Facing The Country

“[T]he economy (36%) outranks the coronavirus pandemic (20%) as the most important issue facing the country…. Among Republicans, roughly half (51%) choose the economy as their top concern … Independents likewise rate the economy tops (38%) … Among Democrats, though, 34% name coronavirus as the top problem, followed by the economy at 20% …” (“CNN Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Biden Isn’t Paying Attention To Nation’s Most Important Issues,” CNN, 11/08/2021)

 

And A USA Today/Suffolk Poll Finds That Nearly 60% Of Voters Disapprove Of Biden’s Performance As President While ‘Two-Thirds Of Americans Say The Country Has Gotten On The Wrong Track’

“Two-thirds of Americans (66%) say the country has gotten on the wrong track; one in five (20%) say it is headed in the right direction.” (“Gloomy Landscape For Democrats In Midterms As Biden’s Approval Drops To 38% In USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll,” USA Today, 11/08/2021)

“Biden’s job approval rating is dismal, too, at 38% approve, 59% disapprove.” (“Gloomy Landscape For Democrats In Midterms As Biden’s Approval Drops To 38% In USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll,” USA Today, 11/08/2021)

 

The Same Poll Found That More Americans Think Democrats’ Reckless Taxing-And-Spending Proposal ‘Would Hurt Their Families Rather Than Help Them’

“The White House and its allies haven’t persuaded most Americans that the [‘Build Back Better’] measure would benefit them … Those surveyed are a bit more likely to say its provisions would hurt their families rather than help them, 30%-26%. Thirty-one percent say it would not have much effect.” (“Gloomy Landscape For Democrats In Midterms As Biden’s Approval Drops To 38% In USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll,” USA Today, 11/08/2021)

 

Even The Left-Wing New York Times Editorial Board Understands That Last Week’s Election Results ‘Are A Sign That Significant Parts Of The Electorate Are Feeling Leery Of A Sharp Leftward Push In The [Democratic] Party, Including On Priorities Like Build Back Better’

THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD: “Tuesday’s election result trend lines were a political nightmare for the Democratic Party, and no Democrat who cares about winning elections in 2022 and the presidential race in 2024 should see them as anything less.” (Editorial, “Democrats Deny Political Reality at Their Own Peril,” The New York Times, 11/04/2021)

THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD: “Many in the president’s party point to Tuesday as proof that congressional Democrats need to stop their left-center squabbling and clock some legislative wins ASAP by passing both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a robust version of the Build Back Better plan, the larger social spending and environmental proposal. They believe this will give their candidates concrete achievements to run on next year and help re-energize their base. But Tuesday’s results are a sign that significant parts of the electorate are feeling leery of a sharp leftward push in the party, including on priorities like Build Back Better … The concerns of more centrist Americans about a rush to spend taxpayer money, a rush to grow the government, should not be dismissed.” (Editorial, “Democrats Deny Political Reality at Their Own Peril,” The New York Times, 11/04/2021)

‘Democrats Lost’ In Virginia ‘Because The Party Has Become Distracted From Crucial Issues’

THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD: “Virginia is a cross-section of suburbs, education levels and racial diversity … Democrats lost there … because the party has become distracted from crucial issues like the economy, inflation, ending the coronavirus pandemic and restoring normalcy in schools and isn’t offering moderate, unifying solutions to them.” (Editorial, “Democrats Deny Political Reality at Their Own Peril,” The New York Times, 11/04/2021)

‘Democrats, Looking Left On So Many Priorities And So Much Messaging, Have Lost Sight Of What Can Unite The Largest Number Of Americans’

THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD: “Democrats, looking left on so many priorities and so much messaging, have lost sight of what can unite the largest number of Americans. A national Democratic Party that talks up progressive policies at the expense of bipartisan ideas, and that dwells on Donald Trump at the expense of forward-looking ideas, is at risk of becoming a marginal Democratic Party appealing only to the left.” (Editorial, “Democrats Deny Political Reality at Their Own Peril,” The New York Times, 11/04/2021)

 

Yet In The Face Of Public Rejection Of Democrats’ Priorities, Democrats Are Determined To Force Through Their Multitrillion Dollar Reckless Taxing-And-Spending Plan

WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF RON KLAIN: “We are going to get the Build Back Better Act passed in the House when the Congress comes back after this Veterans Day break. We’re making progress on this agenda.” (NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ 11/07/2021)

SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT CEDRIC RICHMOND: “We’re going to get a vote on Build Back Better … and Build Back Better is a key component to our agenda.” (MSNBC, 11/07/2021)

DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: “We need to get these both done for the American people, as we’ve been saying, as soon as possible….We cannot wait here. The American people cannot wait.” (“House Democrats Hunt for Votes to Pass Biden’s Domestic Agenda,” The New York Times, 11/04/2021)

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: “But remember, everyone in our party is united about the importance of … doing something about the great issues of our time, from economic competitiveness to climate change. And that's why the administration is confident that the second half of what I like to call the big deal. There was The New Deal, under Teddy Roosevelt there was The Square Deal. I think last night we just got part one of the Biden-Harris administration's Big Deal. And I think part two of that Big Deal has a ton of momentum …” (CNN, 11/06/2021)

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “Democrats continued making great progress towards finalizing President Biden’s Build Back Better plan…. It’s just what the American people want and what they need. And it’s exactly why we need to focus on getting the job done; to finalize and pass this legislation …” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 11/03/2021)

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D-MD): “The Build Back Better budget is desperately needed.” (MSNBC, 11/07/2021)

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “President John F. Kennedy once said, ‘To govern is to choose.’ To craft and pass this bill choices had to be made. And we see, it’s big. It’s transformative. It’s historic…. [W]e cannot and will not miss the opportunity to Build Back Better …” (Speaker Pelosi, Remarks, 11/05/2021)

  • SPEAKER PELOSI: “President Biden has a big vision for America and for our future, a vision that has equity in it … We thank the President for his great leadership, the vision that he has put forth …” (Speaker Pelosi, Remarks, 11/05/2021)

REP. JIM McGOVERN (D-MA), House Rules Committee Chairman: “The American people are demanding action. Now is the time. Time for us to make real the promises of the New Deal.” (Rep. McGovern, Congressional Record, H.6217, 11/05/2021)

REP. JOYCE BEATTY (D-OH): “It is transformational for us to pass the Build Back Better... We support President Biden with this plan, and we are very hopeful that Build Back Better will happen.” (MSNBC, 11/07/2021)

REP. SUZAN DELBENE (D-WA): “[W]e need to move quickly in passing the Build Back Better Act.” (MSNBC, 11/07/2021)

 

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Inflation, Economy