Democratic candidates are hesitant to campaign with Biden despite recent win streak
President Joe Biden’s recent political revitalization hasn’t stopped some Democrats from treating him like an in-law: always welcome but seldom wanted.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s recent political revitalization hasn’t stopped some Democrats in competitive midterm races from treating him like an in-law: always welcome but seldom wanted.
Democratic candidates are tiptoeing around his official visits, making case-by-case decisions about whether to appear with him. They're also speaking out against him on certain issues.
One campaign outright said it wasn't interested in a Biden visit, while a veteran House Democrat told voters she is “fighting back” against the president.
Democrats are walking a tightrope in characterizing their ties to Biden, which might seem counterintuitive considering the streak of legislative victories that have won the president a slew of positive headlines and helped his approval rating to start ticking back up.
The dynamic points to friction between Biden’s interests and those of fellow Democrats: He wants to show that he’s no longer politically toxic, and they're worried it might be too soon to take that step. The strained relationships are on display as Biden plans to tour the country, with an emphasis on battleground states, for a victory lap after recent accomplishments, including passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is designed to lower the cost of prescription drugs and spend heavily on efforts to combat climate change, as well as an executive action to cancel some federal student loan debt.
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