In an indication of how unpopular President Biden has become across the country, even failed presidential candidate and former Texas Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who is running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination of his state, told reporters he wants President Biden to stay away.
Asked at a news conference in Austin if he would accept help from Biden, O’Rourke told reporters, “I’m not interested in any national politician — anyone outside of Texas — coming into this state to help decide the outcome of this.”
“I think we all want to make sure that we’re working with, listening to and voting with one another here in Texas,” he added.
“No one in Washington D.C. right now can help us with the challenges that we have,” he said according to the Dallas News, “This one is on all of us.”
The Daily Wire reported on Sunday that only 20% of respondents in a new poll “strongly approve” of how Biden is doing as president:
According to a Fox News poll conducted between January 16-19 with 1,001 registered voters and a margin or error of +/- 3%, the number of Americans who “strongly” approve of Joe Biden’s performance as president stands at just 20%. The poll asked: “Do you approve or disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president?” 47% of respondents approve, 52% disapprove. Only 20% “strongly” approve, down four points from November and tying October’s number. Those who “strongly” disapprove are at 37%, down from November’s high of 41%.
Last week, an Associated Press (AP) poll found less than 30% of Americans and less than half of Democrats wanted to see Biden run for reelection in 2024.
AP reported:
More Americans disapprove than approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, 56% to 43%. As of now, just 28% of Americans say they want Biden to run for reelection in 2024, including only 48% of Democrats…
It’s a stark reversal from early in Biden’s presidency. In July, 59% of Americans said they approved of Biden’s job performance in an AP-NORC poll. His approval rating dipped to 50% by late September in the aftermath of the chaotic and bloody U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and amid surging coronavirus infections and the administration’s fitful efforts to push economic, infrastructure and tax policies through Congress.
Just 45% say they approve of Biden’s handling of COVID-19, down from 57% in December and from 66% in July 2021. Americans are even more downbeat about his handling of the economy, with just 37% approving. Growing angst about his economic policies comes as inflation rose at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month, a 7% spike from a year earlier that is increasing household expenses and eating into wage gains.
In early December, a Quinnipiac University poll showed Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott absolutely crushing O’Rourke among registered voters by a whopping 15 points, 52%-37%. Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy pointed out, “How far behind is Beto O’Rourke? 15 points is more than your typical two touchdown deficit in football and an even bigger hole in the game of politics.”