According to a CNN survey, if the 2024 election were conducted today, former president Donald Trump would defeat President Joe Biden in Michigan and Georgia. A margin of 10 percentage points (50 to 40%) separates Trump and Biden in the Great Lakes state, while in the Peach state, Trump leads by five percentage points (49% to 44%).
In 2020, Biden was able to win both of the pivotal states and secure the presidency. Only 35% of Michiganders and 39% of Georgians approve of his performance on the job, making these two states crucial in the election.
Polling shows that Biden’s numbers are low because of the economy and inflation. Even as inflation has dropped from 9.1% in June 2022 to a little over 3%, people are still concerned about rising costs and blame the president. Voters in Michigan were divided on Biden’s impact on the economy; 56% felt he had made things worse, while 25% thought he had made things better. Almost the same thing happened in Georgia. Nearly 25% of voters in every state believe the president has had no positive economic impact.
These results on a general election battle between Trump and Biden in Michigan are consistent with a recent New York Times and Siena College survey. The poll indicated that Biden was 5 points behind Trump in that state. Ads airing in Michigan as part of a $25 million ad purchase by the Biden-Harris campaign emphasized the president’s economic accomplishments and debuted around Thanksgiving. The advertisements highlight Mr. Biden’s humble origins from Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he was born and raised. It is a well-worn, ridiculous trope that means little to struggling families and could easily offend when the millionaire paints himself as the average Joe leading a hardscrabble life.
A CBS News/YouGov survey on December 10th shows that 62% of people are unhappy with Biden’s economic policies, while 38% are satisfied. Results from a recent study by Emerson College reveal that among young voters, 38% rank financial concerns high, 15% rank “threats to democracy” tall, and 11% rank immigration high.
The president’s reelection campaign revolves around “Bidenomics,” yet when defending democracy, his party doesn’t rank much higher than the GOP.