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President Biden is on a roll for a commander-in-chief with historically low approval ratings, scoring a string of legislative and foreign policy wins that are giving Democrats fresh hope of avoiding a drubbing in the November midterms.
Mr. Biden has been able to pass a slew of significant bills through the evenly divided Senate with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. He also finally secured the backing of longtime holdout Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, to support his climate and spending bill, a measure that is on track to be passed in the coming days.
The past week was perhaps Mr. Biden’s most successful as president, starting with the killing of the world’s most wanted terrorist and ending with the unemployment falling to its lowest level in 50 years.
In between, Mr. Biden celebrated Sen. Krysten Sinema, Arizona Democrat and another crucial holdout vote, finally endorsing his spending bill; gas prices hitting a 50-day low, and voters in red-state Kansas giving Democrats hope in the midterms by overwhelmingly rejecting an amendment that would ban most abortions.
“For anyone that doubted whether Joe Biden’s policies or approach to governing works, this week is further proof about his ability to lead in the times of crisis,” said Democratic strategist Antjuwan Seawright. “Poll numbers don’t reflect his ability to govern.”
The victories are a much-needed lifeline for Mr. Biden and the Democrats. Political analysts have been forecasting that Democrats will lose both the House and the Senate in the fall midterms.
And Mr. Biden’s own popularity has been fading. A New York Times/Siena College released last month found that 64% of Democrats want someone other than Mr. Biden to be the party’s nominee in 2024, while a CNN poll put that figure as high as 75%.
Things had been looking abysmal for the president. In addition to low poll numbers within his own party, he was criticized for his slow response to the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade; his climate bill was dead in the water, and he tested positive a second time for COVID-19.
Mr. Seawright said the recent string of victories is a game changer for the midterms, which are now less than 100 days away.
“For all those who predicted doom and gloom, what’s their prediction now? What are they saying now with 54 days of dropping gas prices and a strong economic jobs report?” he said.
Republicans say Mr. Biden and the Democrats have too many hurdles to overcome for one good week to make a difference. They note that inflation is still at its highest level in 40 years, gas prices are still well above where they were last year, and Mr. Biden’s approval rating is still mired in the low 40s.
“Prices are still unbelievably high, products still cost more, and families are still struggling to pay for food and gas. Just because Biden is having a good week doesn’t mean that’s coming to an end,” said James Keady, a GOP strategist.
