Vice President Kamala Harris talks about helping the middle class and praises the Biden administration’s work to help the economy on the campaign trail.
But the term “Bidenomics” — once used regularly by Democrats — has largely fallen by the wayside as the campaign season heats up.
New polling now explains why Democrats may be reluctant to use the term these days as they prepare for Election Day on Nov. 5.
The NBC News poll found that voters view the word “Bidenomics” negatively by a two-to-one ratio. Only 22 percent view the term positively, while 46 percent view it negatively.
That included a fifth of all voters who pollsters consider swing voters and who have not voted directly for Republicans or Democrats in the presidential race since 2016.
Kamala Harris campaigns in Washington Crossing, PA on October 16, 2024
Bidenomics refers to the economic policies of the Biden administration.
Over the past three and a half years, Democrats have managed to pass a series of bills, including spending on the middle class and their economic priorities, such as the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and more.
As the president has put it, the goal is to build the economy “from the middle and from the bottom up.”
It comes at a time when the unemployment rate is hovering near record lows after hitting an all-time low last year, more people are entering the job market, the US has seen strong economic growth in recent years that has exceeded expectations and the stock market has reached a record high.
But as the U.S. emerged from the coronavirus pandemic and prices rose globally due to inflation, Americans largely felt the economy was not good, despite plenty of strong economic data suggesting otherwise.
When it comes to views on “Bidenomics,” a whopping 39 percent view it very negatively, while another seven percent view it somewhat negatively.
With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the Harris campaign has shied away from using the term as the election approaches.
Meanwhile, Harris’ opponent Donald Trump’s campaign and other critics have seized on the term in recent months.
In a battleground state ad first released this summer, the Trump campaign pulled news clips discussing rising prices and combined them with clips of Harris talking about “Bidenomics,” including her on-camera statement: “Bidenomics works.’
President Biden speaks about ‘Bidenomics’ at the White House in October 2023
The NBC News poll found that as a large number of voters view “Bidenomics” negatively, more registered voters also believe the Biden administration’s policies have hurt their families.
It found that only 25 percent of voters think Biden policies have helped their families, while 45 percent said the administration’s policies hurt. Another 29 percent aren’t sure.
At the same time, 45 percent said Trump’s policies during his time in office helped, while 31 percent said his policies hurt. 24 percent were unsure.
Overall, the poll found that 50 percent said Trump would be better at dealing with inflation and the cost of living, while only 39 percent said the same about Harris.