MARIA: WAX.
DON’T DO IT.
THAT’S THE WORD FOR MOST
AMERICANS.
WE HAVE A NEW POLL WHICH FINDS
71% OF AMERICANS DO NOT BELIEVE
PRESIDENT BIDEN SHOULD RUN FOR
RE-ELECTION.
45% SAY HE IS A BAD PRESIDENT.
ANOTHER 30% SAYING HE’S TOO OLD.
JOINING ME NOW IS FORMER SENIOR
ADVISOR TO THE CLINTON, CEO OF
THE HARRIS POLL, CHAIRMAN MARK
PENN.
MARK, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
GIVE US YOUR TAKE-AWAY ON YOUR
LATEST FINDINGS, MARK.
WHAT STRIKES YOU MOST?
>> WELL, THE PRESIDENT’S RATINGS
ARE AT A LOW POINT.
INFLATION IS RAGING.
OVER 60% THINK THEIR LIVES ARE
GETTING WORSE.
AND SO CONSEQUENTLY IT’S NO
SURPRISE THAT THEY DON’T THINK
THAT JOE BIDEN SHOULD RUN FOR
ANOTHER TERM GIVEN THIS
PERFORMANCE.
THEY CITED AGE.
THEY CITE THE PROBLEM HE HAS
DOING A GOOD JOB AND I THINK
THESE ARE STUNNING NUMBERS.
EVEN MORE STUNNING TO HE ME IS
ONLY 30% OF DEMOCRATIC VOTERS
SAY THEY WOULD VOTE FOR HIM IN A
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
SO I’VE BEEN DOUBTFUL FOR A LONG
TIME THAT HE ACTUALLY WILL RUN
FOR A SECOND TERM.
OBVIOUSLY, NO PRESIDENT SHOULD
SAY THAT BEFORE ANY MIDTERMS.
YOU’VE GOT TO STAY IN THE RACE.
BUT I THINK IT’S PRETTY
UNLIKELY.
MARIA: WELL, I MEAN, I THINK
PART OF IT IS THAT PEOPLE FEEL
THEY’RE NOT BEING TOLD THE
TRUTH.
I MEAN, THERE’S THIS TIN EAR,
ISN’T THERE?
WE KNOW THAT INFLATION’S AT
40-YEAR HIGHS, SPENDING IS OUT
OF CONTROL AND YET INSTEAD OF
PIVOTING AND SAYING OKAY, WE’RE
GOING TO HOLD BACK ON THE BUILD
BACK BETTER AGENDA, THEY’RE
STILL TRYING TO PUSH IT THROUGH.
TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH ONE
AND-A-HALF TRILLION DOLLARS OF
NEW TAXES EVEN AS COSTS ARE
RISING EVERYWHERE FOR AMERICAN
FAMILIES.
DON’T YOU THINK PEOPLE WOULD SAY
OKAY, HE MAY WANT TO RUN BUT --
AND WE’LL SUPPORT THAT IF THEY
FELT THEY WERE BEING TOLD THE
TRUTH.
INSTEAD, IT’S EVERYBODY ELSE’S
FAULT.
>> WELL, MOST IMPORTANTLY
THERE’S BEEN NO BE PIVOT, NO
PIVOT ON PARTICULARLY GAS
PRICES, GOING AFTER GASOLINE
STATIONS WAS ANOTHER INEFFECTIVE
ELEMENT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS
COMPARED TO, SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT,
WE’VE GOT TO SLOW DOWN THE
TRANSITION OUT OF FOSSIL FUELS,
THAT’S OBVIOUS.
WE’VE GOT TO COMPLETE THE
KEYSTONE PIPELINE.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A MORE RATIONAL,
BALANCED APPROACH.
LOOK, THE PRESIDENT JUST STICKS
BEHIND THE SAME POLICIES, GIVES
OUT COMMUNICATION TALKING POINTS
THAT AREN’T BELIEVABLE, YOU SEE
THE RESULTS.
HE CONTINUES TO SINK IN HIS
RATINGS AND THERE’S BEEN
ABSOLUTELY NO PIVOT OR CHANGE
BEFORE THE MIDTERMS.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER.
MARIA: YEAH.
I MEAN, LOOK, I’M GLAD YOU
MENTIONED OIL BECAUSE WE’RE
GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS
COMING UP IN THE SHOW, THE FACT
THAT NOW WE UNDERSTAND THAT
AFTER ALL THAT TALK ABOUT HIS
BIG SOLUTION TO GET GASOLINE
PRICES DOWN, OPENING UP THE
STRATEGIC PETRO PETROLEUM RESERV
5 MILLION BARRELS OF THAT
STRATEGIC RESERVE WAS SENT TO
EUROPE AND ASIA INCLUDING CHINA.
SO I DON’T KNOW IF HIS CHINESE
OVERLORD SAID HEY A, WE WANT THE
OIL, SEND IT HERE, HOW THIS
HAPPENED BUT IT CERTAINLY SEEMS
LIKE THERE’S REAL INEPTITUDE
UNDERWAY HERE.
WHAT’S THE BENCH?
WHOSE ON THE BENCHES.
THERE’S A NEW POLL WHICH FINDS
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
COULD DO BETTER THAN KAMALA
HARRIS IN A POTENTIAL 2024
MATCHUP AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WHAT TO YOU SAY ABOUT THIS THIS
COMES AS RECENT NEWS OF NEWSOM’S
AD CAMPAIGN IN FLORIDA, HE WAS
ATTACKING GOVERNOR RON DE SANTIS
AND IT’S ADDING SPECULATION THAT
HE WANTS TO MAKE THIS RUN FOR
PRESIDENT.
COULD NEWSOM BE THE DEMOCRATS’
FRONTRUNNER FOR THE 2024
ELECTION?
>> WELL, I THINK THE FRONTRUNNER
IS GOING TO BE VICE PRESIDENT
HARRIS AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT
WILL HAPPEN HERE.
LIKE IN NEW YORK, THERE COULD BE
AN A EARLY TRANSITION, EVEN
HARRIS WOULD HAVE THE REINS OF
THE PRESIDENCY TO RUN WITH.
PREDICTING PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS
THIS FAR OUT IS REALLY A
HAZARDOUS PROFESSION BUT YES,
NEWSOM’S CLEARLY MAKING A PLAY.
I THOUGHT THE ADS IN FLORIDA
WERE A GOOD POLITICAL STUNT.
HE GOT PUBLICITY.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IT HERE.
HES GOSS HIMSELF ON THE MAP.
HE SURVIVED A RECALL.
I THINK THE GOVERNORS ARE COMING
OUT BECAUSE THEY DON’T SEE MUCH
IN TERMS OF THE SENATORS AND
THEY PROBABLY THINK YOU KNOW
WHAT, THE DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT
SOMEONE ELSE FROM THE SENATE,
AMY CLOP CHAR HASSAYAMY KLOBUCHA
POSITIONED FOR A WHILE AS A
POTENTIAL CANDIDATE.
I THINK THE EDGE IS GOING TO GO
TO THE VICE PRESIDENT.
IT ALWAYS HAS, OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
MARIA: BUT MARK, HER RATINGS
ARE ALMOST AS BAD OR WORSE,
ACTUALLY, THAN JOE BIDEN.
THE CONFIDENCE IN THE PRESIDENCY
IS SINKING UNDER JOE BIDEN.
23% OF U.S. ADULTS FEEL
CONFIDENT IN THE PRESIDENTIAL
INSTITUTION ACCORDING TO A NEW
GALLUP POLL, THAT’S A 15%
DECLINE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR,
MARK.
WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT KAMALA
HARRIS’ RATINGS HERE?
>> LOOK, HARRIS’ RATINGS AREN’T
AS GOOD THAT’S NEED TO BE
EITHER.
LOOK, I WORKED FOR PRESIDENT
CLINTON AFTER THE MIDTERMS.
THAT PRESIDENCY WAS ABOUT 30,
33% APPROVAL.
IT WAS A WRECK.
BUT PRESIDENT CLINTON MADE A
DETERMINED EFFORT TO MOVE TO THE
CENTER TO CHANGE THE POLICIES,
TO WORK WITH THE REPUBLICANS, TO
PUT THROUGH BIPARTISAN DEALS.
I JUST HAVE SEEN NONE OF THAT
THROUGH THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK, JOE BIDEN
WAS NOT SOMEONE ANYONE THOUGHT
WAS GOING TO WIN THE DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY AND HE DID.
HARRIS WILL BE FORMIDABLE, MAYBE