Slumping poll numbers, nixes Mount Rushmore fireworks

This week’s White House Report Card finds President Joe Biden pushing to the end of a mediocre week, his polling down due to concerns about inflation, and head-scratching all around for his false bragging on his baseball record and his demand that he only give happy talk when pressed by the media.

Democratic pollster John Zogby was on the road but in his weekly podcast noted that Biden’s polling approvals are taking a hit over the economy, especially inflation, and his failure so far on infrastructure. He asked, “Is this the end of Joe Biden?” No, but it’s a down period.

Conservative analyst Jed Babbin, grading a D, noted Biden’s surprise endorsement of controversial Rep. Maxine Waters for the California Senate seat and the continued problems at the border. He also pointed to the decision to cancel fireworks at Mount Rushmore as an apparent slap at potential rival Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s governor.

Jed Babbin
Grade: D

As we go into the Fourth of July weekend, Biden doesn’t have a lot to celebrate. In the past week, he suffered two major defeats in the Supreme Court, the border crisis’s effect on drug smuggling became public, and Biden managed to endorse the outrageous California Rep. Maxine Waters for the U.S. Senate.

It’s hard to believe that even California, which has a consistent record of electing dingbats to the Senate, would promote “Kerosene Maxine” from the House, but the president said it should. Waters, whose racist and anti-law-and-order statements are legion, wouldn’t help his agenda pass the Senate.

The border crisis is still accelerating, and nothing is being done about it by Biden. Illegal immigrants are coming in at the rate of about 2.1 million per year, and drug smuggling (measured by the number of drugs being seized at the border) is soaring at similar rates. Methamphetamine smuggling, for example, other than through ports of entry is reportedly up 85% this year.

The Supreme Court affirmed an Arizona election security law which, among the details of the decision, said that ballot harvesting is unconstitutional. This is a huge blow that makes one of the most important parts of the Democrats’ primary legislative priority, the so-called “For the People Act,” unconstitutional. In another decision, this one based on freedom of speech, the high court killed a California law requiring political foundations and other nonprofit groups to disclose their donor lists. There go liberals’ wishes to intimidate conservative donors.

On the good side were a decent jobs report and the news that United Airlines made its biggest-ever order for new aircraft, a sign that the economy is recovering. Nevertheless, inflation is getting worse, raising consumer prices on groceries, gasoline, and other essentials.

Meanwhile, fortifications are still keeping tourists out of the Capitol. There’s no celebration of Independence Day inside “Fort Pelosi” and no fireworks at Mount Rushmore. (The Biden administration banned them in a cheap political shot at Republican Gov. Kristi Noem.)

John Zogby
Grade: B-

In his weekly podcast, Zogby observed:

“Is this the end of Joe Biden?”

“He doesn’t have this infrastructure plan. He didn’t meet his goal of 70% of Americans vaccinated. And for that matter, the economy is shaky and his numbers, we’re starting to see them being chiseling away.”

“The end of Joe Biden? Come on, let’s chill. It’s July, and no, he did not get his infrastructure plan. The economy is a little squishy right now. I’m not going to say he’s in trouble. His polling numbers are at about 52% [approval.] Last couple of polls are down a little bit but they’re still above 50%. We’re seeing now his approval on the economy is going down a few points, I think, notably more about inflation than it is about unemployment or employment. And no, he did not meet some of his goals regarding infrastructure and COVID. But nonetheless, I think that infrastructure is still salvageable. I don’t know that it will be in a week or, or two, but I think it’s still salvageable.”

“So, way too soon in the media sense of things to declare anybody’s presidency dead.”

Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin

John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @ZogbyStrategies

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Tags: Washington Secrets, Border Crisis, Biden Administration, Biden Administration

Original Author: Paul Bedard

Original Location: Biden Report Card: Slumping poll numbers, nixes Mount Rushmore fireworks

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