An influential Democratic Party strategist said last week that President Joe Biden should not have run for reelection this year. The comment came as the president has fallen behind former President Donald Trump in a number of recent polls.
Former adviser to former President Bill Clinton James Carville said that there was no one in the Democratic Party’s bench that has the skill of Clinton, but multiple who had other attributes.
“I don’t start naming names, I’m going to lease somebody off, and I hate to do that. But the governors of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, the governor of Kentucky is one of the most talented people I’ve ever seen. There’s Senator Warnock from Georgia,” he said.
He cited current Kentucky Gov. Andy Besear (D), calling him a “talented guy.” He also cited House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries (D-NY), who he said was “doing a great job.”
“But I don’t, I thought that Biden, President Biden, should have considered not running for the election, but that’s not the choice that he made. And so I got to live in the world, I got to live in it, not the world I wanted to live in,” he said.
The guilty verdict against the former president did not appear to effect his standing with the American public.
Trump has fared well in both national and swing state polls. The former president has also received positive ratings from voters on a number of different issues.
Trump outpaces Biden on a range of qualities.
Biden does better on likability but many who don’t like the way Trump handles himself personally are voting for him anyway. pic.twitter.com/Ye5nCRRnDh— CBS News Poll (@CBSNewsPoll) June 9, 2024
According to a new CBS News/YouGov poll, the former president was ranked significantly higher on a number of attributes over his rival. When voters were asked which candidate was “tough,” Trump led with 66% to Biden’s 28%.
When asked which candidate was “energetic,” Trump received 61% to Biden’s 36%. On the question of which candidate was “effective,” Trump received 52%, while Biden received 38%. On the topic of which candidate was “competent,” Trump received 49% to Biden’s 40%.
The only topic that Biden led on was regarding which candidate was “compassionate.” on that topic, Biden received 52% while Trump polled at 37%.
Trump also leads Biden in a series of swing states, including in Arizona and Nevada. The former president has also pulled to about even with Biden in states such as Minnesota and Virginia.
