Voters weighing their options ahead of the 2024 election see their likely choice in bleak terms: a candidate seeking “revenge” or a candidate with no real plans for his second term.
That's the grim result of an exclusive poll for DailyMail.com, which asked 1,000 likely voters for one word to describe what Joe Biden and Donald Trump each want from a second term.
The results suggest why so many voters say they are unhappy with the choice before them.
For Biden, they show his failure to convey a clear manifesto to voters.
“Nothing” was by far the most popular word to describe what he wanted to achieve, with “economy” and “peace” coming next.
JL Partners asked a thousand likely voters for the one word they associated with Joe Biden's plans for a second term. The results will make sobering reading for the president's campaign
The 2024 election is heading towards a repeat of the 2020 contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Voters seem unenthusiastic about the prospect
The word cloud is very different for Trump, who may have been too successful in making his intentions clear.
The former president, who spends much of his time railing against opponents and critics, is associated with: 'Revenge', 'power' and 'dictatorship'.
“It captures the essence of this campaign quite accurately,” says author and conservative commentator Matt Lewis.
“In the case of Donald Trump, the brand that has emerged is one that he has deliberately cultivated, and he has sought to become the candidate of revenge.
“In Biden's case, I think this may not be great news. But it's not terrible either: it could have been old, it could have been insane.
“Instead, it's nothing. It's a blank slate. And they say vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor.”
Both candidates have had problems getting their message across in recent months.
Trump's campaign appearances were sandwiched between court hearings and legal preparations. At times he has had to use courtroom recourse to deliver his political rants, railing against prosecutors and judges he said wanted to keep him out of the White House.
Trump has used rally speeches and other appearances to rail against opponents. He has even sometimes adopted the idea of being a dictator as a way to get things done
Trump has used his court appearances to condemn opponents before the assembled press
He is expected to return to campaigning in Iowa in the new year ahead of the mid-January caucuses and his first big chance to score victories against his Republican opponents for the party nomination.
Meanwhile, Biden is trying to manage a series of crises. From Ukraine to the Middle East and the border with Mexico, he has juggled the demands of international allies, as well as friends and foes from Congress, from the White House.
Poll after poll shows that his positive message that he is the best person to lead the post-pandemic economic recovery is falling on deaf ears.
Aides say privately he will ramp up his campaign events in the new year.
It can't come soon enough for his supporters. He has seen his lead over Trump evaporate over the past six months.
In head-to-head competition, our DailyMail.com poll had Biden ahead by one point in June; one point behind in September and October, and now three points behind.
James Johnson, co-founder of polling firm JL Partners, said the word clouds made for gloomy reading.
“Biden may not have set the world on fire three years ago, but he was the candidate for calm and recovery from the pandemic. Now he's the nothing man,” he said.
“And as for Trump, instead of people thinking he has a plan to fix America, most think he's just out for personal revenge.”
That in itself may not be a winning message, he added.
The word cloud for independents' thoughts on a second Biden term shows how much work he has to do to win over swing voters. Some see that he is only interested in retaining power
While Biden offers independent voters a blank slate, they have a clear sense of who Trump is and what he might be looking for in a second term
'But without a viable alternative from Biden, they could still choose Trump; 'revenge' means at least doing something.
“The Biden campaign hopes to lay out their vision for his second term in the coming months to shift positions. But the big question is, is the American public listening?'
Trump has been clear in his plans for a second term. He has spoken of trying to “weaponize” the Justice Department, and of wanting “retaliation” against enemies he has labeled “vermin.”
After the Jan. 6 violence, his core team is made up of loyalists who may be less likely to show restraint than his first term.
And when he was asked directly by Fox News host Sean Hannity to promise “that you would never abuse power in retaliation against anyone?” his response was intended to cause outrage: 'Except day one.”
In their word clouds, the Democrats show that they were listening: power, dictatorship, corruption all appear, along with destruction, anarchy and corruption.
JL Partners surveyed 1,000 likely voters about their intentions for the 2024 election. They showed Trump has widened his lead over Biden over the past six months
Republicans use terms that are more approving: America, success and peace, but also others that see a leader who will tackle pressing problems such as border and economy.
Democrats have a clearer idea of what they think Biden wants to accomplish in a second term. The top words they chose were: Economy, democracy and peace.
Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said the results showed people had strong feelings about Trump but were less certain about Biden.
That could be a weakness for the president, he said.
“Biden's strategy right now is to make sure people know that Trump is not against our democratic system. That his rhetoric is dangerous, and therefore he is dangerous,” he said.
“But what this poll says is that that may not be the case, because we really don't know whether people think he's dangerous or not.”