A new poll conducted by The Economist/YouGov found that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shines as Americans are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with President Joe Biden’s job performance and the state of the economy.
The poll, which surveyed 1,500 U.S. adult citizens, found that only 25% of respondents believe that the country is headed in the right direction, while 62% believe that it is off on the wrong track.
The poll also found that Americans are particularly dissatisfied with the state of the job market. Only 39% of respondents believe that jobs are easy to find, while 57% believe that they are difficult to find.
While fewer than one in four Americans want Biden to run for president again in 2024, his Democratic challengers are still working to gain recognition. Previous surveys showed two-thirds of American voters did not want the 80-year-old Biden – the oldest person to serve as president of the U.S. – to seek re-election.
Kennedy, a 69-year-old environmental lawyer who is challenging the substantially weakened Biden for the Democratic nomination, has a higher favorability rating than any of the other 2024 presidential candidates, according to the poll.
Kennedy — the son of the 1968 presidential candidate, nephew of the 35th President and Bobby to all who know him —was viewed favorably by 49 percent of respondents, giving him the highest net favorability rating of 19 points. He was viewed unfavorably by 30 percent.
Biden and former President Trump each had the second-highest percentage with 44 percent of respondents viewing them favorably, but Biden had a minus-9 net favorability rating, while Trump had a minus-10 net favorability rating.
Fewer Americans want Biden to run for president again than previous surveys showed, only one-third of Democrats believe he is their strongest candidate and the incumbent would lose to Trump.
Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott had the second-highest net favorability ratings of the names included at 8 points. Ramaswamy was viewed favorably by 26 percent and unfavorably by 19 percent, while Scott was viewed favorably by 32 percent and unfavorably by 25 percent.
Author Marianne Williamson had the lowest percentage of respondents who view her favorably at 19 percent, while former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had the lowest net favorability rating of minus-24 points.
Only 38 percent of Democrats said they strongly approve of Biden’s job performance while even weaker portions of his party strongly approve of the way Biden is handling such key issues as climate change, crime, gun violence, inflation, and abortion rights.
While 45 percent of Democrats surveyed say things are generally headed in the right direction, 39 percent of Democrats say the country is off on the wrong track and 16 percent are unsure.
The poll’s findings come at a time when the U.S. economy is facing a number of challenges, including rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine.
These challenges have led to a slowdown in economic growth, and have contributed to rising prices for goods and services.
The poll’s findings suggest that Americans are increasingly concerned about the state of the economy.
This concern could have implications for the presidential elections, as voters may be more likely to vote for candidates who they believe are agents of change.
Here are some additional key findings from the poll:
- Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that the country is headed in the right direction.
- White Americans are more likely than Black and Hispanic Americans to believe that jobs are easy to find.
- Urban Americans are more likely than suburban and rural Americans to believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction.
- Older Americans are more likely than younger Americans to believe that jobs are difficult to find.
The poll’s findings present a stark reminder of the challenges facing the U.S. economy and raised serious questions about whether Biden will be able to fend off his lesser-known challengers for the Democratic nomination, let alone prevail against a Republican in the general election.