Biden’s 2024 Problem: Voters Say His Policies Hurt Them

livemint.com:

WASHINGTON—Robert Gilbert is fed up with high prices for groceries and other necessities, and he has giving up hope that President Biden can help. “I don’t think he has really done much for us, nothing that benefits me really," said Gilbert, 65 years old, a retiree living on a fixed income in Fenton, Mo. He voted for Biden in 2020, but doesn’t think he will support him again.

Gilbert isn’t a fan of Donald Trump either, but he felt that the economy was better when Trump was in office. “I think Trump did a pretty good job if he shut his mouth," said Gilbert, who is considering voting for a third-party candidate next year. More than half the country now thinks Biden’s policies have done them harm and nearly as many voters think Trump’s policies helped them, a foreboding sign for the incumbent heading into a likely rematch with his 2020 foe.

For Biden, the finding in a recent Wall Street Journal poll offers a stark explanation of why support from those who helped put him in office is waning. It also illustrates why Democrats are increasingly worried about his prospects, even against an unpopular Republican opponent with whom Biden hopes to draw a contrast. Voters across the political spectrum single out inflation and high prices as a chief complaint about Biden’s presidency, but some also are upset with his broader record on domestic and foreign policy.

Many voters couldn’t cite specific Biden administration policies they disliked, but instead channeled a pervasive malaise in the country that they said was difficult to pin down. Several said they were considering supporting an alternative to either party’s front-runner or not voting at all. In interviews with voters, what’s striking is that the frustration is coming from all