Behind the Curtain: Biden's horror shows
Jim VandeHei,
Mike Allen
President Biden's White House is stuck in a split-screen reality — spiraling war threats overseas and spiraling political problems at home. Both are horror shows for re-election.
Why it matters: Top officials believe Biden has been at his best in managing the early days of the Israeli-Hamas war. But they privately concede things have never been worse politically since the 80-year-old took office.
Most troublesome: It's hard to see how to brighten his public image on issues haunting the American public — crime, immigration, inflation, race, trust. And now two divisive wars America didn't start.
Biden's top aides "are deeply frustrated, and somewhat bitter," said one backer in frequent touch with the West Wing. "They think he's doing a great job — and by many measures, he is."
But private polls show the same hurdle as public ones — brutally and stubbornly low popularity broadly, and on topics animating voters:
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https://www.axios.com/2023/10/29/behind-the-curtain-bidens-horror-shows
