President Joe Biden’s core support was shaken by his faltering performance in last week’s debate, an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows, fueling furor over whether he should continue his candidacy.
More than four in ten Democrats, or 41%, say the Democratic Party should replace Biden as its presidential nominee. That figure includes 37% of those who say they plan to vote for him.
The survey found widespread dissatisfaction with both major party candidates, but Republican Donald Trump’s base remains strong despite criticism of his debate sincerity. Only 14% of Republicans and 12% of Trump supporters believe the GOP should replace him on its ticket.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters, conducted by landline and mobile phone Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
No debate: Donald Trump won
The survey leaves no doubt about which candidate “won” the CNN debate in Atlanta on Thursday night.
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By nearly 5 to 1, or 50% to 11%, respondents said Trump won over Biden. Only 28% of Biden supporters said their candidate won, compared to 86% of Trump supporters who said their candidate won.
The question for Democratic leaders and strategists now is whether debate ratings will affect how people vote, and whether the debate’s impact will lessen or intensify in the coming weeks.
The Biden campaign has tried to calm a political firestorm sparked by the meandering performance of the 81-year-old president, who at times seemed to lose his train of thought. Aides say the fundamentals of a close campaign have not changed, and he has already begun addressing concerns about his age and energy in his appearances at rallies and fundraisers since the debate.
The survey results clearly show that these concerns are important.
When asked why they thought either candidate won, most cited either strength or weakness in their mental acuity.
Those worried about Biden used words like “confused” and “incoherent.” They overwhelmingly said Trump won.
Others used words like “consistent/articulate” and “conscious/present” to justify their support for the 78-year-old former president.
Among those who said Biden won, the main reasons given were not about his performance but his character, saying he was “truthful/honest” and that Trump “lied” in his answers.
After the debate, independent fact-checkers identified some erroneous statements from Biden, but many more falsehoods from Trump.
Viewership was high: 46% of respondents said they watched the entire 90 minutes of the debate, and 30% said they watched part of it. Republicans were slightly more likely than Democrats or independents to have watched.
A desire for different candidates
Most Americans surveyed said they would like to have different choices on the ballot for the two parties.
Overall, 54% of respondents to 37% believe Biden should be replaced as candidate. Almost as many responded as Trump, 51% to 46%.
But the partisan composition of this discontent is different, highlighting divisions among Democrats and unity among Republicans.
- Republicans, 84% to 14%, want Trump to remain the GOP nominee. Additionally, 59% of Republicans said the debate made them more likely to support him.
- By contrast, a slim majority of Democrats want Biden to remain their nominee, 51% to 41%. Among Democrats, just 24% said the debate made them more likely to support him. Nine percent said it made them more likely to support a third-party candidate.
What about the independents?
Sixty-four percent of respondents want Biden replaced, and 63% want Trump replaced.
Asked about the impact of the debate, 26% of independents said it made them more likely to support Trump, 9% Biden, and 17% said it made them more likely to vote for a third-party candidate.
Another 8% said it made them less likely to vote.
News Source : www.usatoday.com
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