The general consensus on cable TV was that the Coronavirus pandemic was going to hurt Joe Biden campaign for the presidency. That was because he's is not getting much TV coverage, while Donald Trump is able to put himself on TV every day with Coronavirus briefings.But it's not working out that way. Biden finds himself leading in all the polls. The RealClearPolitics average of all recent polls has Biden ahead by 5.3 points (47.6% to 42.3%).
It turns out that Trump's briefings are not helping him with the voters. In fact, it's doing the opposite. His boasting, blaming, lying, and refusal to grieve for the dead is not playing well with the voters. He is making it clear to most voters that he is lacking even basic leadership skills -- skills that are necessary in a crisis like this pandemic.
And it's not just Trump who's getting hurt. Republicans around the country are polling worse, because the voters see them as the ones who keep supporting Trump -- no matter how much he lies or mishandles the crisis.
Here is just part of what columnist Jennifer Rubin had to say about this in The Washington Post:
Trump’s constant presence and irrational, incoherent rants make him seem even less capable and sober. Biden has sewed up the nomination, and has found campaigning from his basement has its pluses. He can control access and his message, while allowing Trump to self-immolate.
However, Trump is not the only one who looks vulnerable. Republican Senate Republicans’ polls are dreadful. . . .
Trump could recover if, for example, there is no second wave of coronavirus cases, the deaths abate quickly, and states are getting back to work by Election Day. If you find that unlikely, you are in good company. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, for one, thinks it is inevitable the virus will be around in the fall. Economists are gradually worsening their outlook for the second and third quarters of 2020. In short, things may look worse a few months from now.
Even more damaging for Trump, he is unlikely to stop being Trump. He cannot give up his daily press fix (despite stories he was going to cut back), and we know he is not suddenly going to become the voice of reason and science. Trump will be Trump. And that’s the problem for him and Republicans. In a stunning failure of leadership and governance, Republicans have been entirely unable to comfort the country and provide confidence they have a path forward. They may finally have exhausted the voters’ patience.
