Anxious Democrats are urging President Joe Biden to express more empathy over inflation, as voters dismiss his positive rhetoric on the economy, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The concern comes as surveys consistently show that voters have a better view of the economy under former President Donald Trump and give the former president more credit on economic issues.
When discussing the economy, Biden often emphasizes positive data, such as inflation dropping significantly, but David Axelrod, the lead strategist for former President Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, warned that "we learned ... in 2011 and 2012 [that] you can cite data until the cows come home, but what counts is how people are perceiving the economy."
Trump's campaign has attempted to make the rise in prices a main issue in the presidential race and view inflation as one of Biden's biggest weaknesses, with Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt saying that "workers and families are literally paying the price for Joe Biden's failed economic policies, with prices on household essentials like gas, food, rent, and diapers skyrocketing."
Many indicators have shown that the economy has performed well since Biden took office, with the U.S. the only major economy where output has returned to its pre-pandemic trend, according to a recent Federal Reserve study. In addition, unemployment remains low and wage growth has exceeded inflation for the past year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But a Cook Political Report swing-state poll found that 54% of voters said the cost of living was the best measure of how well the economy is doing, compared with 13% who chose the unemployment rate.
Biden "looks out of touch when he is bragging about how good the economy is," said Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican who represents an Omaha area district that Biden captured in 2020.
Another complication for Biden in trying to get his domestic economic message across is that he is scheduled to be abroad at least twice in the coming weeks, where international issues are expected to be more pressing.