Biden Hits the Campaign Trail for Democrats – Which Could Hurt Them

President Joe Biden has upped the tempo of his travel before the 2022 midterm elections, months after expressing his desire to return to a campaign-style schedule to underscore his accomplishments.

But now that the Russia-Ukraine war has entered another phase, the White House’s renewed focus on the November contests, which will decide which party controls Congress, presents challenges for the president.

Biden’s New Hampshire, Oregon, and Washington itineraries this week, after trips to Iowa and North Carolina last week, emphasize the importance he and his White House aides are placing on the midterm cycle as his average approval rating hovers around 41%, or net negative 11 percentage points.

But Biden is an inconsistent performer on the campaign trail. While he may forge inroads with persuadable voters one on one, he can just as easily distract from the White House’s intended message with an off-script comment or a viral video clip.

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For Republican strategist John Feehery, the White House is in a difficult position since they aspire to portray Biden as an in-command leader as it simultaneously creates opportunities for him to make mistakes.

“He’s got to travel to show he’s up to the job. And he’s got to travel because he’s got to excite his base,” Feehery told the Washington Examiner. “Now, the downside of that is that every time he says something, he says something stupid.”

Biden does best in intimate settings rather than in large venues or on TV, according to Feehery. And that means it takes more effort to reach the same number of people effectively, a complication for a time-poor, older president.

The Republican National Committee, amplifying Feehery, was adamant that Biden’s “damage control tour” will not help Democrats overcome Republicans’ generic congressional ballot 3-percentage-point average advantage before November.

“Biden’s failed presidency and dismal polling is a burden for Democrats up and down the ballot,” RNC spokeswoman Nicole Morales said. “Inflation is at a 40-year high, the southern border is out of control, and families can’t afford to put gas in their cars.”

New Hampshire Democratic state Rep. Tim Egan downplayed the political repercussions of Biden being back on the road. Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, for example, is in a competitive race for her second term, which could determine the Senate majority. The president will be in Portsmouth on Tuesday to promote the bipartisan infrastructure deal’s port and waterway investments, which he claims will mitigate supply chain concerns.

“Joe Biden can’t just sit in the White House and go, ‘Well, I can’t show up here. I can’t show up there,'” Egan said. “He has to show and is showing the American people that even at an advanced age, he’s a vigorous, engaging, involved leader, and that’s going to help people’s confidence.”

Biden, who spends many of his weekends away from the White House, told reporters during his January press conference that he hoped to speak directly with the public more often in his second year.

“We’re going to be out there making sure that we’re helping all of those candidates,” he said. “Scores of them have already asked me to come in and campaign with them, to go out and make the case in plain, simple language as to what it is we’ve done, what we want to do, and why we think it’s important.”

Defeated Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe seemed to embarrass Biden last year when he admitted the president’s low approval rating was a liability for him on what he believed was a private phone call. And Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is among the notable 2022 contenders who have avoided Biden when he was in their home states. Others include Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, both of whom are running for Senate.

Abrams cited a scheduling conflict during Biden’s trip to Georgia in January as the reason why she did not appear with him in Atlanta, where he delivered a highly anticipated voting rights speech.

Biden is aware of his political weaknesses, exacerbated by Ukraine and a pandemic-strained economy, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki last week. Recent poor polling does not necessitate a strategy “shift,” she insisted. The president will continue hosting economy-centric events, and his schedule will tell “the story” about how his “domestic audience” is “a huge priority,” she said.

On Monday, Psaki framed Biden’s New Hampshire itinerary as a platform to revel in his bricks-and-mortar infrastructure achievement and advocate his social welfare and climate spending bill.

“His view is that for anyone out there, when they’re out there, senators or members of Congress who are going to be talking to their communities, that standing up for his agenda and standing up for this agenda that will make the American people’s lives better is a winning argument,” she said.

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She added, “I’m not going to overly note the political sway of districts or states, but he’s always said he wants to be the president for all people, govern for all people, and that means talking about his agenda in red, blue, and purple states.”