FACTORS/BIDEN – Among key factors is the economy: With inflation soaring, 70 percent say it’s in bad shape, up from 58 percent last spring. While just half blame Biden directly for inflation – its worst in 31 years – his approval for handling the economy overall is down to 39 percent, off 6 points just since early September and 13 points from last spring.
Fifty-five percent instead now disapprove of Biden’s economic performance – 6 points more than Donald Trump’s highest disapproval rating on the economy, in September 2017. Just more than a year later, Trump’s Republicans lost 40 House seats in the 2018 midterms.
In terms of Biden’s job performance overall, a new low of 41 percent approve, while 53 percent disapprove – highly similar to his rating on the economy. Biden’s lost 11 points in approval since spring, accelerating with the coronavirus Delta surge and continuing with inflation.
Specifically on the pandemic, Biden’s rating is less bad, a 47-49 percent split, approve- disapprove. But that is numerically (albeit not significantly) under water for the first time, with approval ebbing from 64 percent in April and 62 percent in June, both pre-Delta surge.
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Biden’s overall approval rating sets or matches career lows among nearly all demographic groups, with positive assessments among most down significantly from their peaks in the spring or summer. The exception is those who already were highly critical of the president, such as Republicans, conservatives and rural residents.
It’s notable that Biden gets just 35 percent approval from independents – while 63 percent of independents support the infrastructure bill and 58 percent support the $2 trillion climate change and social policy package.
Looking to the midterms, 58 percent of all adults (and 59 percent of registered voters) are inclined to look around for someone new to vote for. That’s fairly typical, albeit slightly above its average in polls back to 1989. (And House incumbents overwhelmingly tend to get re-elected – 92 percent on average in midterm elections since 1946.) Nonetheless, marking Democratic challenges, registered voters interested in looking for someone new currently favor Republican over Democratic candidates by 20 points.
EDUCATION/RACISM – Even with the GOP advantages in this poll, results on a hot-button issue in the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election in Virginia, education, are nuanced. On one hand, a plurality, 48 percent, says parents should have “a lot” of say in what schools teach their children (as opposed to some, not much or none), and this group tilts heavily Republican. It’s a view credited as a galvanizing issue for the winner in Virginia, Republican Glenn Youngkin.
On the other hand, a broad 70 percent of Americans say public schools should teach a great deal or good amount about how the history of racism affects the country today – an approach criticized by Youngkin and many Republican officeholders generally.
Today was the day. Lady Guinness Bassale has moved on and taken a huge chunk of my heart with her. 
