OPINION:
What happens when you run an 81-year-old career politician with flagging health against a 78-year-old man-child who last month was found guilty of 34 felony charges?
Yup, you guessed it. Americans say none of the above.
According to a new poll, a significant portion of the American electorate holds unfavorable views of both President Biden and former President Donald Trump. The group, known as “double haters,” has reached its highest percentage at this stage in the past 10 presidential election campaigns.
The latest findings from Pew Research show that the number of “double haters” has almost doubled since 2020 — to 25%. The growing sentiment contributes to the anxiety surrounding the anticipated rematch between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, making the 2024 election one of the most contentious in recent memory.
Political analysts believe the election’s outcome will largely depend on a small but crucial segment of voters in key swing states, estimated to be around 6%. These voters are expected to reluctantly choose between two unfavorable candidates when November arrives.
Adding complexity to the race, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s third-party run could be a factor in several pivotal states. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns are keenly aware of his potential impact and strategize to counteract his influence.
Either candidate must win over the “double haters” to secure victory in the Electoral College, especially given the expected narrow margins. Both candidates are scrambling to do just that.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump tried to mend relationships within the Republican Party. His visit to Capitol Hill, where he was seen shaking hands with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a longtime foe, aimed to demonstrate GOP unity after the divisive primaries.
Moreover, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has a substantial following among voters skeptical of both candidates, endorsed Mr. Trump last month, solidifying his support base.
But a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll indicates that 67% of “double haters” believe Mr. Trump should end his campaign due to his felony convictions, adding another layer of unpredictability to the race.
The two candidates will face off in an unusually early presidential debate in a week. Mr. Trump will no doubt unleash his vitriol on his opponent, who will most likely look feeble and confused. Both sides will declare victory afterward, and no minds will be changed.
Here’s how polarized we are right now: In a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are tied at 49%. Just 2% of registered voters say they are undecided.
According to the poll — which, let’s admit, may be way off — 98% of Americans are already done with this race. They’ve made their decision.
Sure, all kinds of things might happen in the 130-plus days until Election Day, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Mr. Biden froze for nearly a full minute at a White House event and later wandered off at a G7 meeting in Paris (the White House called the videos “deepfakes” — they weren’t).
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump faces more trials on a slew of charges and will be sentenced on July 11 on the nearly three dozen felonies he was convicted of committing. But who’s counting? His poll numbers barely changed after the jury found him guilty, so no one seems to care.
Turnout in 2020 was a record: 158.9 million, up 15.7% from 2016. Maybe it’ll rise yet again.
But look for turnout to plunge: A quarter of Americans hate both candidates. Millions could well vote against both candidates or not even bother to cast a ballot at all.
This race is embarrassing. America has nearly 330 million residents. Are an 81-year-old career politician and a 78-year-old man-child found guilty of 34 felony charges the best candidates we can find?
No wonder the number of “double haters” is rising.
• Joseph Curl covered the White House and politics for a decade for The Washington Times. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on X @josephcurl.
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