US presidential election: poll puts Trump ahead of Biden
According to a New York Times poll, Donald Trump would win a presidential election against incumbent US President Joe Biden in five out of six swing states — states with no clear preference for Democrats or Republicans — if it were held now. Europe’s press discusses who should draw what conclusions here.
Do the Democrats still back Biden?
The incumbent’s poor poll ratings should give the Democrats pause for thought, The Times writes:
“Central to voters’ concerns, it seems, is the question of Mr Biden’s advanced age: only 25 per cent thought he had sufficient stamina to continue serving as president. ... In the months to come Democrats will have a difficult decision, however: whether to rally decisively behind an unpopular Mr Biden, or take a gamble on a younger, more energetic candidate before next year’s presidential election. Either way, the stakes could not be higher. With war in Ukraine and the Middle East, and China eyeing Taiwan, the confident, coherent projection of US power has rarely been more necessary to world order.”
Time running out for a change of candidate
Diena writes:
“Current trends show that voter support for Trump continues to grow despite all the scandals associated with his name. ... At the same time, the Democrats’ political machinery is already campaigning for Biden’s re-election, and if a decision on a change of candidate (including for the vice presidency) is not made in the next few months, then such a decision may no longer be possible. Only the Democratic National Convention next August is still in a position to do this. ... Whether the delegates will succeed in reconciling their very disparate interests, and whether just over two months will be enough for an election campaign — these are questions to which there are currently no answers.”
Welcome to the post-truth world
Új Szó is baffled by Trump’s continuing popularity:
“Trump’s team is already putting together a list of names of those against whom he will launch a witch hunt if he returns to the White House. Those who hold a hammer see no end of nails. And those who see themselves as constantly persecuted launch witch hunts themselves. It’s sad to see a segment of Americans who are disillusioned for one reason or another supporting this man who can’t even be called a real estate tycoon anymore given his tax fraud. We really do live in a post-truth world.”
Outsider Kennedy has a chance
According to the Aargauer Zeitung, the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could shake up the election campaign:
“Kennedy, who was a member of the Democratic Party until October, appears to be rallying the support of a broad coalition of right-wing government critics and left-wing activists. ... Prone to controversial claims, Kennedy has said he wants to prevent the US is ‘moving from a nation of citizens to a nation of subjects’. Perhaps that message will resonate in a country full of frustrated people. RFK Jr. could shake up an election campaign that is making many Americans sick to their stomachs.”
