Morning Consult: ‘Democrats are maintaining an advantage’ in the midterm generic ballot despite President Biden’s low approval rating

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - While midterm elections are often seen as a referendum on the sitting president, Democrats may overcome Joe Biden’s low approval rating according to Morning Consult’s senior reporter Eli Yokley.

Morning Consult surveys show 45 percent of Americans approve of the job President Biden is doing. And while a majority disapprove, Yokley says the president’s approval rating has not hurt Democratic candidates this year.

“He’s very unpopular. But Democrats are maintaining an advantage in the generic ballot. This is pretty rare when it comes to midterm elections. And it’s one of the strange things facing Democrats this year as they try to hold on to their congressional majorities,” said Yokley.

Democrats are hoping voters remember two things as the vote: Biden’s legislative accomplishments and how extremist Republicans have continued to back former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election being stolen.

“Rather than breaking with Donald Trump, the Republican Party has found itself more beholden to him. And across the country, extreme MAGA Republicans are winning nominations and promising to that if they win power, that they will pave the way to cancel votes in elections that they don’t agree with,” said DNC Rapid Response Director Ammar Moussa.

54 percent of Americans have an “unfavorable opinion” of Trump according to FiveThirtyEight. However, RNC National Spokesperson Danielle Alavarez says not only is ‘MAGA extremism’ not real but this election is about the current president and what she says are the economic failures of his administration.

“That is what keeps people up at night thinking about how they’re going to put food on the table, thinking about how they’re going to fill their car with gas to get to work. I think it’s really difficult. And I know that Republicans are going to work hard when we’re elected in November to turn this country around,” said Alvarez.

Morning Consult surveys show Democrats hold a narrow edge over Republicans when it comes to who likely voters are more likely to vote for in the midterms.