A new survey released this week revealed that only 12% of self-identified Democrats said President Joe Biden should lead the Democratic Party.
Neither side is particularly optimistic in their party’s leadership. Only 22% of Republicans are very or extremely confident that the GOP’s leadership represents their values, while 42% of Democrats said the same of the Democratic Party. Furthermore, only 19% of adults have a positive view of Congress’ job performance, with 20% Democrats approving and 17% Republicans offering similar approval. The poll found that 79% of adults disapprove of Congress’ performance overall.
Sixty-three percent expressed pessimism while only 15% stated they are optimistic, with 21% stating they neither felt optimistic nor pessimistic. Meanwhile, Democratic Party leaders reportedly feel former President Joe Biden is too old to run for president again in 2024. As Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) told POLITICO on Thursday: “Nobody wants to be the one to do something that would undermine the chances of a Democratic victory in 2024. However, conversations behind closed doors suggest that if this were to happen, there could be increased risk involved.”
The survey also found only 20% of self-identified Republicans think former President Donald Trump should lead the GOP while 22% said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should do so. “No answer” and “other response” came in at 34% and 21%, respectively. According to the pollsters, both parties are displaying concern about the direction of their respective parties: Democrats express more optimism about the future than pessimism (44% vs 26%), whereas Republicans are about equally optimistic (38%) and pessimistic (36%) regarding the future of their party.
