President Joe Biden goes into next year’s election with a vexing challenge: Just as the U.S. economy is getting stronger, people are still feeling horrible about it.

Pollsters and economists say there has never been as wide a gap between the underlying health of the economy and public perception. The divergence could be a decisive factor in whether the Democrat secures a second term next year. Republicans are seizing on the dissatisfaction to skewer Biden, while the White House is finding less success as it tries to highlight economic progress.

“Things are getting better and people think things are going to get worse — and that’s the most dangerous piece of this," said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who has worked with Biden. Lake said voters no longer want to just see inflation rates fall — rather, they want an outright decline in prices, something that last happened on a large scale during the Great Depression.

“Honestly, I’m kind of mystified by it,” she said.

  • Maeve
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    010 months ago

    I’ll say it an umpteenth time: good fash/bad fash afab.

    • girlfreddy
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      910 months ago

      Bernie would have won, and the last 8 years would have been vastly different.

      • @Beetschnapps
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        610 months ago

        Al Gore ran and would have won but republicans stole that one. It’s more complex than “DNC is icky”

        • girlfreddy
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          510 months ago

          The DNC manipulated the vote between Clinton and Bernie so Clinton would win the nomination.

          They’re not “icky” … they’re manipulative assholes.

          • @Beetschnapps
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            10 months ago

            Except they didn’t manipulate the vote and you’re just quoting trump:

            https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/926247543801044993?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fblogs%2Fblog-briefing-room%2F358565-trump-dnc-tried-to-illegally-steal-primary-from-sanders

            Best there was was a fundraising agreement that favored the established candidate, could have done better but that’s not manipulating the vote unless you’re an idiot.

            Meanwhile Bernie’s caucuses with fascists? You sound like you have no grasp Of the world because anyone less than pure is a facist to you while actual fascist get voted in because of you ignorance and apathy.

            Again Bernie endorses and caucuses with democrats. Because they rigged the vote? You realize how aligned he is with the dem party and works with their establishment. So he’s a fascist too?

            • queermunist she/her
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              -910 months ago

              Again Bernie endorses and caucuses with democrats. Because they rigged the vote? You realize how aligned he is with the dem party and works with their establishment. So he’s a fascist too?

              Along with refusing to endorse a ceasefire, Bernie is just proving Stalin correct: social democracy is the leftwing of fascism.

                • queermunist she/her
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                  10 months ago

                  Bernie refuses to oppose genocide Gaza because he refuses to endorse a ceasefire. This is a fact, regardless of whatever handwringing he’s doing to pretend like this isn’t an obvious betrayal. The Squad endorsed a ceasefire. Why won’t he?

            • Guy Dudeman
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              110 months ago

              But they’re Rainbow Fascists, so they’re better than Trump… right? Right??

          • Maeve
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            610 months ago

            No worries. I have a hard time reading between the lines, myself.

      • queermunist she/her
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        -810 months ago

        No, if Bernie somehow won the nomination in 2016 then Hilary would have endorsed Trump to stop socialism.

        Never underestimate Democrats.