By Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Despite recent polls indicating a decrease in President Joe Biden’s popularity, a sense of vindication swept through the White House and Biden campaign on Wednesday after Democrats’ strong showing in off-year elections.
“Pollsters, pundits, if I had $1, for every time they’ve counted Joe Biden or the Democrats out, I probably wouldn’t have to work anymore,” Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee, told Reuters.
The week brought questions about the wisdom of Biden’s 2024 re-election bid, particularly from within his own Democratic Party, following a series of weak polls. Some segments of the diverse Democrat coalition have expressed frustration over issues such as Biden’s Israel stance, lack of progress on climate change, and high prices.
However, despite these challenges, Democratic wins in key battleground states, such as the victory by Democratic incumbent Governor Andy Beshear in Kentucky and the passage of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights in Ohio, signaled the overall strength of the Democratic party’s positions.
Vice President Kamala Harris made a sudden appearance to highlight the issue of abortion rights and emphasized the Democrats’ coalescing 2024 message focused on protecting Americans’ personal rights.
“At every turn, MAGA Republicans have embraced Donald Trump’s agenda to restrict our freedoms, and voters aren’t going to have it,” Cornale said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that polls predicting a “red wave” for the Republicans in the 2020 midterms were misleading and said Wednesday’s election results bolstered Biden’s re-election argument that his policies matter most.
Harris ended with an optimistic prediction about the upcoming November election, expressing confidence that she and the president will win.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt. Editing by Heather Timmons and Rod Nickel)
