Midnight in Biden’s America

NEWS AND OPINION:

Fans of President Ronald Reagan will recall a signature phrase that the 40th president used in his campaign and after he won the White House. That phrase was “It’s morning in America,” and it originated in a 1984 political commercial — deemed at the time as “one of the most effective campaign spots ever broadcast” by none other than The New York Times.

Curious? Here is the actual transcript of that ad:

“It’s morning again in America. Today more men and women will go to work than ever before in our country’s history. With interest rates at about half the record highs of 1980, nearly two thousand families today will buy new homes, more than at any time in the past four years. This afternoon 6,500 young men and women will be married, and with inflation at less than half of what it was just four years ago, they can look forward with confidence to the future. It’s morning again in America, and under the leadership of President Reagan, our country is prouder and stronger and better,” the campaign message declared.

“It’s always midnight in Joe Biden’s America,” presidential historian Craig Shirley wrote in an editorial for Newsmax.

“You can’t say it’s the same old same old in Joe Biden’s America. Because daily the nation’s mood appreciably worsens. And it gets worse, and even worse than that. It’s always midnight in Joe Biden’s America. Gloomy, dank and cold. Morale has bottomed out,” said Mr. Shirley, who has penned six books on Reagan alone.

“Think of a depressing Edgar Allan Poe poem or story. You feel worse after having read it. Once upon a midnight dreary. That is the United States of Joe Biden,” he said, citing an appropriate passage from “The Raven,” a poem by Poe published in 1845.

“Depression overcomes one and all when reminded of the person occupying the once esteemed office of the president. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and Joe Biden? We have reached the end of history,” Mr. Shirley declared.

“Nothing is going right. Everything is going wrong. A president can have much of that effect on the people of America. Think about this: Ronald Reagan made Americans feel happy, proud and content! Joe Biden makes them feel miserable, sad, apprehensive and fearful of the future,” Mr. Shirley said.

Trump, Biden ’suddenly tied’

In August, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll, found President Biden ahead of former President Donald Trump by a solid margin (47% to 41%) in a hypothetical match-up. Mr. Biden also led Mr. Trump in every Yahoo News/YouGov poll since February.

“But over the last few weeks of summer, Biden’s consistent advantage has evaporated amid growing concerns about his age and fitness for another term — as well as a long-shot impeachment push by House Republicans,” wrote Andrew Romano, a West Coast correspondent for Yahoo News.

“Meanwhile, Trump appears to be gaining momentum despite the 91 criminal charges lodged against him since the start of 2023. Trump and Biden are suddenly tied,” he said.

Indeed, the latest Yahoo News/YouGov survey of 1,636 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 14-18 found president and former president tied at 44% each among registered voters, while 7% remain undecided and 4% say they don’t plan to vote.

Voting patterns are complicated, but revealing.

“The biggest shifts — for both Biden and Trump — have come among Republicans. Biden’s approval rating has cratered in recent months, falling from 18% in April to 16% in May, 11% in June, 8% in July, 7% in August and just 4% on the current survey. At the same time, Trump’s 2024 general-election support among Republican voters (91%) is higher than ever, up from 84% just last month,” Mr. Romano said.

“Such numbers suggest that the growing sense of Trump as the GOP’s inevitable 2024 nominee may be causing previously wary Republicans to set aside their concerns and coalesce around him,” he said.

On the radar

The New Hampshire Republican State Committee’s “First in the Nation Leadership Summit” is set for mid-October. The significant Granite State gathering offers 32 speakers — who include presidential hopefuls such as former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

More on this developing event soon.

Help for the news

Let’s revisit the Community News & Small Business Support Act.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced in July by Rep. Claudia Tenney, New York Republican, and Rep. Suzan DelBene, Washington Democrat.

“The bipartisan legislation supports two institutions critical to sustaining hometown communities: local news organizations and small businesses. The act makes refundable tax credits available to local newspapers to reinvest in professional journalists who cover local news topics,” said Editor & Publisher, an industry source.

Eight co-sponsors have now signed on.

Among the Republicans: Reps. Earl “Buddy” Carter of Georgia, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler and Marcus Molinaro, both of New York.

Among the Democrats: Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana, William Keating of Massachusetts, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and Jill Tokuda of Hawaii.

“The Community News & Small Business Support Act is a big win for local communities. More local reporting means more access to the hometown news citizens rely on. And stronger newspapers mean stronger advertising vehicles for local businesses,” said Dean Ridings, CEO of the America’s Newspapers Foundation, a nonprofit that supports local journalism.

Poll du jour

 • 92% of U.S. adults have reduced their personal spending over the past six months.

• 76% have cut back on spending for nonessential items.

• 63% will limit spending on clothing and apparel.

• 62% will limit spending on restaurants and bars.

• 56% will limit spending on entertainment outside the home.

• 54% will limit spending on groceries, 53% on vacations.

• 50% will limit spending on electronics.

Source: A CNBC/Morning Consult poll of 4,403 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 12-14.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin.