The last few weeks have been a bleak time for Joe Biden and his poll numbers. A New York Times poll released on Monday indicates 64% of Democrats would prefer another candidate be the party's standard bearer in 2024. Another survey – this one published last week by the Monmouth University Polling Institute – showed that nearly 90% of voters believe the country is going in the wrong direction. Monmouth points out that marks "an all-time low" for that question going back to 2013.
In order to hold the Biden administration accountable until 2024, the GOP must flip the House and the Senate. But another New York Times poll shows the House Democrats leading Republicans 41%-40% percent with 19% undecided. In addition, Democrats lead in what are considered tossup Senate races in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona.
Rob Chambers, vice president of AFA Action, theorizes that there's a disconnect among voters.
"They're disassociating any strong connection between a Democratic candidate in the general election to Joe Biden or the Democratic Party as a whole," he tells AFN. "They're not making the direct connection that Democrats who are running for office are responsible for Biden's failed policies.
"They don't make the connection between the people they're sending to Congress or to the Senate and their direct connection to the Democratic policies that are causing the ills we're seeing in our economy."
Eyes on Georgia Senate race
One of those Senate races critical for the GOP is taking place in Georgia, where polls indicate Republican candidate Herschel Walker (pictured below) has fallen behind his Democratic opponent, incumbent Rafael Warnock.
In a poll taken in early April, Walker led Senator Warnock by four points; but in a later poll that same month, Warnock was up by five points. Then in mid-June, news broke that Walker, who has been outspoken in his criticism of absentee fathers, has in fact fathered four other children besides his son Christian. In a Quinnipiac poll taken in late June, Walker lags ten points behind Warnock.
Chambers, however, contends other reasons account for Walker's poor polling numbers.
"I think one thing that you see is that Walker doesn't communicate well to the people. He's not an effective communicator," he argues. "I don't think it's the issue about the child; but I think it really just comes down to the people's lack of confidence in how he can lead."
The AFA Action spokesman also doesn't expect Walker's popularity as a Georgia Bulldog football icon is going to matter much to voters. "He's in the distant past of football. I don't think that notoriety is going to gain him much," he says.
However, Chambers suggests Walker may benefit somewhat from being on the same ballot as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp – particularly from those who vote a straight party line.
RealClearPolitics' average of polls gives Warnock only a slight advantage (1.6%) at this time.
Editor's Note: AFA Action is an affiliate of the American Family Association, the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates AFN.net.
