President Joe Biden ends 2023 with his polling numbers still in the doldrums — worse than any other president at the same stage of their first term — as he prepares for an election next year with voters still worrying about the state of the economy.
And that is despite his overall approval rating ticking up slightly.
The latest tracking number from Gallup, published Friday, puts Biden’s job approval rating at 39 percent, up two points from lows in October and November.
That is worse than the last seven presidents in history as they came to the end of their third year in power.
Barack Obama was at 43 percent and Donald Trump was at 45 percent as they headed into election year.
Everyone else, including Jimmy Carter, who is often held up as the benchmark for a failing presidency, had a favorable job rating from more than 50 percent of respondents.
Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush polled at 51 percent, and Ronald Reagan and Carter stood at 54 percent.
George W. Bush had the best numbers. His 58 percent standing was inflated by the recent capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
It all shows how much work 81-year-old Biden has to do as he seeks re-election.
‘While the economy has shown signs of improvement and Americans are a bit more optimistic about it, it remains a pressing concern,’ said Gallup in its analysis of the numbers.
‘Given Republicans’ concern about the issue, Biden can expect immigration to be a central theme in the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign in 2024.’
Biden was in Milwaukee on Wednesday, talking up his economic and investment record.
‘When you build from the middle, when you increase the middle class, the poor have a shot and the wealthy still do very well, the middle class does well, and we all do well,’ he said.
However, Biden and his campaign have struggled to convince voters that the economy is in safe hands. Many families say they are still struggling with higher prices, despite the cost of gas and some groceries falling during the past year.
Inflation is down to 3.1 percent, unemployment is still at very low rates, and stock markets are nearing record highs.
The Gallup poll offers some good news for Biden, with signs that his message may be starting to get through.
About four in five adults said economic conditions in the country were fair or poor.
And 68 percent of Americans said the economy was getting worse, while 28 percent said it was improving.
That might not sound encouraging, but Gallup converted the data to a -32 Economic Confidence Index reading, which is a leap up from the -40 score from last month.
A memo released by the White House said the administration was making progress.
‘This week’s news that the American economy grow at nearly five percent in the third quarter of 2023 is all the more reason to continue this progress, which has made the United States far and away the biggest economic success story in the world coming out of the COVID recession,’ wrote Senior Communications Adviser Andrew Bates.
‘Now inflation is falling, wages are climbing, and Americans are getting a raise in time for the holidays thanks to Bidenomics.’
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BREAKING: Late last night, President Biden directed US military forces to conduct attacks in Iraq on Iranian-aligned Kataib Hezbollah and other Shia militia.
This was in response to attacks that wounded US military personnel.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said, “Let me… pic.twitter.com/hppjgcKNsY
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 26, 2023
Reports of Illegals blocking roads leading up to O'Hare airport, lighting NYC subway trains on fire are just the beginning of more to come
Biden & Mayorkis are committing treason on America, & when Trump takes office, he'll close the border & start a mass deportation pic.twitter.com/wb4WT4L7lZ
— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) December 26, 2023
Until Biden is scraped off America's shoe, every sacred American value will be tainted and destroyed. https://t.co/oFrS16A9J3
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) December 26, 2023