Doug Sosnick, a longtime Democratic strategist who served as political director for former President Clinton, said in an opinion piece Friday that President Biden’s path to recapturing the White House has “all but disappeared.”
“President Biden has spent much of 2024 on an increasingly difficult path to winning a second term in November. [former President Trump,]”Sosnik Said “But for reasons that have become obvious, that trail has all but disappeared,” the New York Times article said.
Sosnick’s opinion piece comes as Biden faces intense political headwinds following his dismal performance in last month’s debate, which has increased voter concerns about his age and led to a growing list of House members calling for him to step down.
“We’ve never seen a tougher Electoral College situation for Biden. Not only does he risk losing battleground states he won in 2020, he also risks losing traditionally Democratic states like Minnesota and New Hampshire. [former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton] and [former President Obama] “If current trends continue, Trump could achieve one of the most decisive presidential victories since 2008,” Sosnick said.
Biden and his advisers have sought to ease the fears of those in his party who are panicking over the possibility of losing to Trump, but so far have not seemed to have much success.
Biden said at a press conference Thursday night that he believes he is “the best qualified person to run for president.”
“I believe I’m the best person to govern,” he later added, “and the best person to win. But there are other people who can beat Trump. But it’s all starting from scratch. And, you know, we’re talking about the money we’ve raised. We’re not bad.”
“Let’s start there,” he continued. “The fact is, the consideration is that I believe I am the best qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I intend to win again.”
But Sosnick said even winning in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan – the campaign’s best hope of winning the Electoral College – will be an uphill battle.
“All three states pose particular challenges for Biden, as current polling shows him trailing Trump by as much as five points in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and even closer in Michigan,” he said. “Given the time and resources poured into Pennsylvania, the lead there should be particularly worrying for Biden and his campaign.”
Sosnick noted that Republicans are pouring a lot of their campaign money into these three states, and time is fast running out for Democrats to make a difference.
“If Biden has any chance of beating Trump and not taking the Democratic Party with him, he must prove in the coming weeks that he is mentally and physically capable of leading the county for another term,” he wrote.
Biden and Trump are separated by just one percentage point, with the former president’s approval rating at 44.9% and the current president’s at 43.9%, in a Hill/Decision Desk average of national polls. The average has Biden slightly ahead of Trump in Michigan and trailing him by a point in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
