The Democratic coalition that fueled President Biden’s rise to the White House―including Black voters and suburban women―has frayed in less than a year, resulting in across-the-board losses in Virginia, says Northeastern political science professor Costas Panagopoulos. “Last night’s results were a statement about Joe Biden,” Panagopoulos, an expert on political campaigns and elections, says.
The president didn’t seem to think so. Asked during a press briefing at a United Nations climate conference in Europe about the potential impact of his declining approval numbers on Virginia, he responded: “I’ve not seen any evidence that, whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I’ve got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on winning or losing.” The president’s comments were made before the results of the Virginia contest were known.
Biden was referring to a nearly $2 trillion social spending plan that moderates and liberals in his party have been struggling to reach an agreement on, as well as a separate $1 trillion transportation measure that remains in limbo.
