this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2024
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President Biden’s policy agenda is incredibly popular, much more popular than his opponent’s. But Biden the man? Not so much.

The question now is whom to blame for the approval gap between the president and his agenda: voters, the media or Biden himself.

Democrats have long argued that their policies are more popular than those of Republicans. In a recent blind test conducted by YouGov, that was unmistakably true. The polling organization asked Americans what they thought about major policies proposed by Biden and Donald Trump without specifying who proposed them. The idea was to see how the public perceived ideas when stripped of tribal associations.

Biden’s agenda was the winner, hands down.

Of the 28 Biden proposals YouGov asked about, 27 were supported by more people than opposed them. Impressively, 24 received support from more than 50 percent of respondents.

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[–] InternetUser2012@midwest.social 29 points 4 months ago (7 children)

He's only unpopular because of bots, trolls, and the likes of fox "news". He's what AMERICA needed after having a child with 34 felonies ruling by incompetence and revenge for four sad years.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

hes mostly unpopular because the media dosnt cover 90% of the shit he does, and what they do cover they cover vaguely and don't credit him, because the media is heavily invested in another trump win because trump winning brings in ratings as people tune in every day to see what new horror he has released upon society, like they did in his first term.

Broadcast media has too much vested in a trump win to ever give biden appropriate coverage.

Its why all teh coverage of the debate was "BIDEN OLD, MUST QUIT" and almost nothing about trumps lies or the CNN moderator just letting trump go.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

the media dosnt cover 90% of the shit he does

He is in the media spotlight constantly. If the President shits, we get news on it. And we have a plethora of friendly venues happy to report all the nice things Biden says he's doing (until he gives up halfway through, because the Fifth Circuit court or a senior aid or a Senate Parliamentarian tells him to stop).

But it's not selling, because peoples' material conditions aren't improving. The Inflation Reduction Act didn't improve the cost of living. The college loan forgiveness benefited less than 1% of student borrowers. The exhorbitant sums sent to Ukraine haven't ended the war or even clawed back any territory. The climate isn't getting any cooler.

all teh coverage of the debate was “BIDEN OLD, MUST QUIT” and almost nothing about trumps lies

The coverage could have been "Biden Slams Trump on His Many Lies". But Biden didn't do that because he's a senile old coot.

Oh gee! Why isn't Rachel Maddow singing Joe Biden's praises right now? Must be because she's a Russian Bot who hates Democrats and America.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Imagine picking a Democratic candidate that can't even handle the bullshit from fox news and then acting all surprised when his polls start to tank.

[–] Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Fox News is an utter pile of garbage and by no means a trustworthy media outlet

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Sure is, so maybe we should have someone who won't take the bait and talk about their golf game during a presidential debate!

[–] InternetUser2012@midwest.social 1 points 4 months ago

You get paid to troll? If you don't you're really a sucker.

makes sence why your instance has the word awful

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Just curious, what percentage of Americans do you think are under the influence of Russian bots? Because roughly a third voted for Trump and roughly a third didn't vote, add in third party voters and I'm pretty sure that would mean a supermajority of Americans are Russian assets, which is a fascinating perspective.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

"Victim of Russian propaganda" isn't the same as "Russian asset."

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

Ok then, what percentage is believing, repeating, and being actively swayed by Russian propaganda?

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

At least a majority of trump supporters, and probably a small fraction of non-voters.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 0 points 4 months ago (3 children)

That's wild. Like, to think all it takes is a handful of Twitter bots to instantly sway like half the population of a country.

Say, why doesn't anyone else try this? Just set up some bot accounts to spread misinformation in favor of Biden, and it should be just as effective right? I mean, it can't be that people have different beliefs and different material interests or anything like that. Everyone who disagrees with you is simply so stupid that they just instantly believe anything they see. Shouldn't you be able to use that to your advantage?

[–] HessiaNerd@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

It's harder to get people in favor of something than it is to point to something/someone and convince them they are an enemy.

This is a truth known for a long time. I think it is linked to our tendency to lose aversion.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_aversion

Both parties are speaking to us about what we are going to loose it the other side wins. For Biden he is claiming (probably rightly based on the recent Trump supreme court decisions) we are going to loose democracy if Trump wins. Trump is claiming we are going to loose America, the real America, if Biden wins. What real America is depends on who he is talking to.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I didn't say or even imply people support trump because of Russian bots, I'm saying that trump supporters are largely stupid or uninformed, and trump is putin's puppet and repeats Russian propaganda.

Everyone who disagrees with you is simply so stupid that they just instantly believe anything they see.

It's actually kind of funny that you're being incredibly reductive while accusing me of the same. Like I said, not everyone and not everything. Trump supporters, however, are largely dumb enough to swallow Russian propaganda specifically because they've been primed for it.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 months ago

My question specifically included the words "actively swayed."

[–] SupahRevs@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

It is not just bots but an infrastructure of heavy investment in mass media that mislead americans. Fox News, NAEBC, Tucker Carlson, the NRA, Breitbart and then you can add in the bots on social media.

[–] SupahRevs@lemmy.world -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Trump received 74 million votes.

The NRA, which has proven to be infiltrated by russian assets has about 5.5M members so that's almost 7% right there. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-unveils-report-on-nra-ties-to-russia-findings-show-nra-misled-public-about-2015-moscow-trip#:~:text=New%20evidence%20that%20NRA%20insiders%20may%20have%20violated%20U.S.%20sanctions,pursuit%20of%20personal%20business%20opportunities.

In 2021 there were about 20M users of Parler which amplified russian propaganda: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/10/01/report-fbi-catches-another-russian-made-fake-news-site-targeting-us-voters/

There's probably some overlap, but with just two instances we've seen how over 20-25M right wingers (1 out of 3 trump voters) are subject to russian propaganda.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Amazing. So because the NRA met with Russian weapon manufacturers to try to get rich, it means every one of the 5.5 million NRA members has been swayed by Russian propaganda. Absolutely zero of them were legitimately just gun nuts who were always going to vote Republican because they oppose gun control, 100% of the members were swayed by Russia the moment someone on the board met with a Russian arms dealer.

I guess it becomes very easy to show that a large number of Americans have been influenced by Russia if you're allowed to play like 6 degrees of separation like that. Why don't we count anyone who ever used Facebook too, while we're at it? What percentage of Americans bought a coke in 2020, while Coca-Cola was doing business in Russia? This goes way deeper than I ever imagined.

[–] roscoe@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'm just one person and my sample size is small. But judging by the number of right-leaning people I know that send me stuff from RT and other similar places, and the number of left leaning people who repeat dispiriting talking points I see in those pieces (They may never vote republican, but their enthusiasm is certainly being sapped.), I would say the percentage is quite high. That's just people being swayed like you asked, not necessarily convinced to vote or act a certain way.

Again, I'm just one person, but from what I see around me Russia and its allies are winning the propaganda war.

[–] PRUSSIA_x86@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

To some degree or another? A significant portion.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml -2 points 4 months ago

What constitutes "a significant portion?" 5%? 20%? 60%?

[–] enbyecho@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

He’s only unpopular because of bots, trolls, and the likes of fox “news”.

And a years-long campaign by Republicans to tap into people's prejudices against old people. Never mind they'd struggle to name one actual policy position they'd disagree and haven't bothered to learn of all the things they'd wholeheartedly support if they were just aware of them.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

There is some irony in that every time I talk to conservative friends/family about the things I loath Biden for, they're reasons they should love him, if only the media reported on it.

He's weak on the border? The one he tried to close, but was blocked by republicans, so he went around congress to illegally kick out refugees?

There's too many brown people? He's deported more people than Trump did.

He's left Israel out to dry? He sent everything that was allocated to them, and more, and even bombed Yemen to support the genocide of Gaza.

Abortion? Who exactly is letting Roe lie dead?

Welfare? He ended covid protections, child poverty skyrocketed.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

Can't understand why he's not more popular with a track record like that.

Maybe he's just running in the wrong party.

[–] Sightline@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Who said that? Not doubting just curious.

[–] Freefall@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Biden did. It was a slip. Old guy, fighting a returning stutter, trying to get everything of substance he has to say out in a 2min window...he messed up a whole bunch. The other guy ignored the questions and vomited the practiced lies and BS he has been spewing for years, so he looked better, if you didn't actually listen to the words from each person.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

Yeah Trump says stupid shit like that on a daily basis whether it's a slip or intentional. Personally I had to turn the debate off after about five minutes, being so embarrassed of my country. Biden was pathetic and Trump a lying sack of shit.

[–] iiGxC@slrpnk.net 2 points 4 months ago

I've never liked him. Better than trump, still bad tho

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

No. Dismissing criticism like this is exactly how you got here. People have been raising legitimate concerns for years. And then he decides to 100 percent support genocide of Palestinians during the campaign. Not even conditioning military aid on compliance with international law. Which has the same effect as starting an unpopular war.

That debate was his last chance to convince undecided voters he still has 4 years of mental competency in him and he failed.

This is what happens when you run a sham primary with a weak candidate.

[–] InternetUser2012@midwest.social 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

this isn't your normal no, its a midwestern no.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The budget is allocated by Congress and must be dispensed as allocated by the executive branch. Biden could not legally stop the weapons going to Israel. How many times must this be repeated? I see you and others in every single political thread trying to lay dead Palestinian children at Biden's feet. Biden doesn't want any more Palestinians to be destroyed- he seems to be a fundamentally decent person. Even though I strongly dislike Biden as president and hate the government of Israel, we all know Trump would ramp up the genocide for his buddy Netanyahu. Are you going to keep playing dumb? It's that fucking simple.

Unless Biden steps away these are the choices. More, or less, genocide? Because it's not going to stop until Israel decides it is done.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

A. That's not true, check out Trump's last term for examples of not spending the money as Congress directed.

B. There are laws expressly forbidding the disbursement of aid to regimes committing war crimes. The Leahy Law and Foreign Assistance Act. The bar is internally low as well, "credible evidence". Anyone who has picked up a newspaper in the last six months has seen credible evidence.

C. This is how you pressure politicians. Don't tell us to vote for him because we can pressure him and then cry when we pressure him.