Concerned union members at Biden’s Philly speech foresee a challenging path for 2024.
‘They don’t think he’s rough-and-tumble enough, they think he’s too old’
President Biden: Transforming the Country for the Next Five Decades
PHILADELPHIA—President Joe Biden, in his first major rally since his reelection announcement, delivered an inspiring message to union members on Saturday. He emphasized that Democrats have the power to transform the country for the next five decades. However, some members are more concerned about the upcoming 2024 election.
Biden’s campaign speech reiterated familiar themes, highlighting that Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicaid benefits, and emphasizing the need for the wealthy to “pay their fair share.” While this message resonated with the union members in attendance, some of their colleagues at home have different concerns. Inflation and a leftward shift on social issues have alienated many blue-collar voters who were once the backbone of the Democratic Party. These voters are now hesitant to support the president.
“I’m a little worried about my membership in my union and how they feel,” said Eric Houghtaling, a retired electrician and former Democrat in the New Jersey Legislature. “They don’t think he’s rough-and-tumble enough, they think he’s too old. I gotta tell you, the guys at home want to talk more about stuff like guns and immigration.”
Biden currently holds one of the lowest approval ratings for a first-term incumbent in recent history. According to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, his approval rating stands at a meager 41 percent, while nearly 66 percent of voters believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Voter dissatisfaction with Biden is also evident within his own party. Only about half of Democrats want Biden to seek a second term, and his primary challenger, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., consistently garners double-digit support in polls.
Brad Schneider, 54, expressed that his fellow steelworkers in Pittsburgh feel neglected by Biden.
“The members here think Biden’s in good shape, but the members at home? Not so much,” said Schneider. “The members at home don’t really think he’s done enough. They don’t see him enough.”
A senior White House official in attendance insisted that the speech, which featured signs displaying the slogan “LABOR FOR BIDEN HARRIS 2024,” was not a campaign event. The official declined to comment on Kennedy’s challenge and stated that Biden’s team doesn’t feel the need to actively campaign.
The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, endorsed Biden’s reelection bid earlier than ever before. AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler clarified that the early endorsement aimed to “unlock support” early on in the campaign, rather than rallying behind an unpopular president. Union member support for Democrats has declined in recent years.
David Wu, a member of the Screen Actors Guild and a staunch supporter of the president, attributed Biden’s poor numbers to increased political polarization since 2021. When asked about Biden’s chances of reelection, Wu acknowledged the challenges of winning a second term in this “oddly divided political environment.” However, Wu dismissed Kennedy’s support in polls as a real threat to Biden.
“People say they want RFK because you’ve got to protest, and you want to send a message,” Wu said. “Those poll results are good tools for political advisers, but a lot of it is just about how the wind is blowing that day.”
Biden’s speech did not outline a specific vision for a second term but rather highlighted his legislative accomplishments, such as the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the $500 billion Inflation Reduction Act.
“I came with a plan, and it started with passing the American Rescue Plan, a plan to vaccinate the nation and get our economy going again,” Biden said. “And that’s exactly what it did.”
Notably, the president did not address pressing voter concerns such as inflation, crime, and immigration during his speech.
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