Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in five of six key battleground states polled by the New York Times and Siena College and published on Sunday. And while Biden’s lead in one state, Wisconsin, is only by 2% (47-45), Trump’s show of force in the other five is tangible: 52-41 in Nevada, 49-43 in Georgia, 49-44 in Arizona, 48-43 in Michigan, and 48-44 in Pennsylvania. Unlike Biden’s, Trump’s leads are all outside the margin of error.
In a CBS News/YouGov national poll that was released on Sunday, Trump leads Biden by 51 to 48 percent – the mirror image of Biden’s 2020 numbers, 51 to 47 percent. In response to the question, “Generally speaking, do you feel things in America today are going?” 73% answered “somewhat badly” or “very badly.”
In the Times/Siena poll, a whopping 71% said Biden was “too old” to be an effective president. Now, Biden, who was born on November 20, 1942, is turning 81 in two or so weeks. Trump, born June 14, 1946, will be 78 this summer, and yet only 39% of respondents thought he was too old for the job.
And 62% said Biden does not have the “mental sharpness” to be an effective president.
David Axelrod, the political wizard behind both Barack Obama’s victories, tweeted sadly Sunday night: “The greatest concern is that his biggest liability is the one thing he can’t change. Among all the unpredictable, there is one thing that is sure: the age arrow only points in one direction.”
Axelrod noted: “Yes, there also is risk associated with changing course now, as there is little time left for a primary campaign, and campaigns are how we test candidates. But there is a lot of leadership talent in the Democratic Party, poised to emerge.”
And he added: “Only Joe Biden can make this decision. If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday: “These presidential races over the last couple of terms have been very tight. No one is going to have a runaway election here. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, concentration, resources.” He also said, he was concerned before the two polls came out, “And I’m concerned now.”
Julie Chávez Rodríguez, the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign manager, on Friday, tweeted something that should be of great concern to US Jews who support Israel. She said it is “crucial” for Biden to show strength among key parts of his coalition to be able to win. Sunday’s two polls show the opposite is happening: Biden is not doing well with young Black and Hispanic voters, and there’s no telling what his campaign would do to bring those voters into the fold.
Do I need to spell it out for you?
