Biden’s support of Israel alienates more Democrats in new poll
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In a broader sample of Americans, 34 per cent said US President Joe Biden’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war is making a peaceful solution less likely, according to the poll.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden’s backing for Israel in its war with Hamas is alienating at least a third of Democrats, a CBS News/YouGov poll showed, as criticism of his administration’s stance grows.
The share of Democrats who said Mr Biden has shown too much support rose to 38 per cent from 28 per cent in October, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
In a broader sample of Americans, 34 per cent said his approach is making a peaceful solution less likely, according to the poll.
The growing civilian toll of Israel’s military operation in response to the Oct 7 attack
At the same time, the Israel-Hamas war ranked well behind inflation, border security and the state of US democracy on the poll’s list of most important problems facing the country.
The surge in US inflation in 2022 to a four-decade high has been dogging Mr Biden, even after annualised gains in the consumer price index fell from a peak of 9.1 per cent in 2022 to 3.2 per cent in October and inflation-adjusted wages started rising again in 2023.
About three-quarters of CBS poll respondents, or 76 per cent, said their income is not keeping up with rising prices, while 62 per cent said the US economy is in bad shape and 56 per cent blamed government spending for inflation.
The Biden administration argues there is still time until November 2024 for Americans to notice the shifting trend in their pocketbooks.
“The macro numbers are going as well as anybody could have predicted, right?” Ms Shalanda Young, head of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, said on CBS on Dec 10.
“Inflation coming down, job numbers remaining strong, but people have got to feel it and it’s going to take time.”
Mr Biden’s approval rating hit a low in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) poll published on Dec 9, with the leader lagging former president Donald Trump by 47 per cent to 43 per cent in a hypothetical election match-up.
About 37 per cent approved of Mr Biden’s job performance, a low in the WSJ’s polling during his presidency.
Those who view his overall image unfavourably reached a record 61 per cent. Much of the unhappiness comes from Democratic-leaning groups that might still back Mr Biden on election day, WSJ reported. BLOOMBERG
