President Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to take hits across all demographics, but younger voters seem to be particularly unhappy with the White House, according to a new Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday.
In a poll of 1,412 American adults from April 7 -11, with a 2.6% margin of error, only 21% of those ages 18 to 34 approve of Biden’s job as president. By contrast, 58% disapprove, and 21% did not know or provide an answer.
His overall approval sits at a laughable 33%.
Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson pointed out how these numbers are extremely problematic for Democrats, as any downturn in support could signal losses for them in such a tight election cycle.
“Biden’s numbers among young voters continue to be awful. This is not the only poll to show this. And the high ‘DK/NA’ = many are checked out/apathetic right now. They wanted things to get better if Biden won. They aren’t sure things really did. And now their gas is $4 a gallon,” Anderson tweeted.
“Despite their disillusionment with Biden, voters under 35 aren’t becoming some big GOP constituency — the problem for Democrats is less that they’ll vote Republican and more that they’ll stay home,” she added.
Despite their disillusionment with Biden, voters under 35 aren’t becoming some big GOP constituency – the problem for Democrats is less that they’ll vote Republican and more that they’ll stay home.
(This ballot is from QPac survey that came out last week) https://t.co/udPguyX1UF pic.twitter.com/yz4K7vosi5
— Kristen Soltis Anderson (@KSoltisAnderson) April 13, 2022
Anderson is correct, as the Republican Party will not magically get young people to overcome their liberal dispositions and vote for them overnight. Instead, these numbers will benefit them in the sense that Generation Zers and millennials will avoid going to the ballot box in the midterms altogether, which will amplify their more reliable, older base.
Young voters might not get fired up about the causes of inflation, but their bank accounts are still hurting, and they reasonably feel compelled to blame Washington. For those who are either still in college or paying off student loan debt, any additional increases on consumer products likely have a stronger effect on their finances, especially if they are already lower-income.
With this in mind, it just goes to show that Democrats take voting demographics like young Americans for granted. Ever since the 1960s, liberal politicians consider the next generation as activists awaiting their marching orders. During campaign season, establishment Democrats pretend to be in touch with the latest trends and progressive talking points, mostly because of their popularity in the entertainment world as well. Once they get elected, they either completely ignore their concerns (which is probably beneficial in most cases) or execute those policies in the worst way for all Americans.
The best way for the Biden administration to make strides with younger voters is to get a handle on the issues that matter to all Americans, which includes getting a grip on inflation.