Liberal Media Scream: CNN’s Zakaria puzzled by Biden’s unpopularity
This week’s Liberal Media Scream provides the perfect demonstration of why Washington journalists are often out of touch with the rest of America.
At a time when President Joe Biden is experiencing approval ratings lower than former President Donald Trump and even Democrats are expressing hope that Biden doesn’t run for reelection, a top CNN talker said he just couldn’t understand why the president isn’t more popular.
“I have to confess, I find Joe Biden’s unpopularity puzzling,” said CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.
Apparently suffocating inflation, an out-of-control border, broken promises to end the coronavirus and cure global warming, Americans stuck in Afghanistan, and a general inability to project a coherent plan aren’t enough of a reason for some.
Zakaria instead said that Biden “has mostly handled his job with intelligence and decency” and is a victim of circumstances beyond his control.
Below is the beginning and end of Zakaria’s commentary at the top of Sunday’s Fareed Zakaria: GPS on CNN:
“But first, here’s ‘my take.’ I have to confess, I find Joe Biden’s unpopularity puzzling. He’s rounding out his first year in the White House with the lowest end-of-first-year approval ratings of any elected president in modern times, with the exception of Donald Trump. Why is this? Biden is a genial, likable person. Many of the policies he’s pursued have been popular, even some with Republican support. The country is doing reasonably well economically, as measures like unemployment, which is declining, the stock market, which is rising, and interest rates demonstrate.
“So why did the latest CNN average of the polls have him at just 45%? Now, one has to remember that Biden is something of an accidental president. He got elected for two reasons, neither of which has much to do with his personal popularity. First, Barack Obama chose him as vice president, which instantly elevated him in the Democratic field. Second, Donald Trump. Had these two factors not been present, it’s difficult to imagine Biden in the White House…
“Presidents often get rewarded for being around in good times, whether they caused them or not. In Joe Biden’s case, he has mostly handled his job with intelligence and decency, but he’s paying the price for the complicated times that we are living through.”
Brent Baker, vice president of research and publications for the Media Research Center, explains our weekly pick: “File under ‘Clueless in New York City.’ Zakaria reflects how out of touch much of the press corps are with the concerns of most Americans. To anyone paying attention, it’s not ‘puzzling’ why Biden is not popular. Just look at the out-of-control border. It’s only ‘puzzling’ why anyone who is paid to report the news wouldn’t realize the real mystery is why more than 40% approve of the Biden presidency in its lurch far to the Left.”
Rating: THREE out of FIVE screams.
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