Some Democrats worry Biden hit reset button too late for midterms

WASHINGTON — Many mainstream Democrats hailed President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address as a sorely needed course correction eight months before the midterm elections, charting a populist, pro-American message that some hope will resonate with voters turned off by the left wing of the party.

But some in the party said they fear it may be too late to undo the damage Democrats have already sustained from a politically disastrous winter, with Biden's approval plunging to new lows in recent weeks. Others fumed about internal divisions that threatened to muddle the party's pitch.

After facing criticism last year from some Democrats who felt he was too ambitious and veered too far left, Biden's speech in many ways sought to set down a more middle-of-the-road marker in an election year. He focused on the less controversial elements of his once expansive legislative platform, such as reducing prescription drug and child care costs, touted a "unity agenda" and denounced far-left calls to defund the police.

Biden set off Wednesday morning to travel to Wisconsin to promote his bipartisan infrastructure law and the funding it provides for roads and bridges. The trip comes after Biden used his speech Tuesday night to present his rebranded domestic legislative to-do list, emphasize accomplishments and demonstrate recent progress in the fight against the coronavirus — in part by going maskless and returning to handshakes.

"I think it is a reboot," Rep. Susan Wild, a vulnerable Pennsylvania Democrat, said of Biden's speech. "A lot has been lost in the noise over the last six to nine months about process, about, you know, Joe Manchin, about filibusters, you know, that kind of thing."

For much of last fall, Biden was consumed with negotiations over a sweeping climate and social spending bill, dubbed "Build Back Better," that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., eventually doomed with his opposition. The protracted talks stalled the rest of the Democratic agenda and showcased the party's divisions. Wild said she was under the impression that Biden was "conceding that he overshot on the Build Back Better Act."

Biden's new timbre comes at a chaotic moment for Americans, who are dealing with rising prices and an unpredictable pandemic as they watch Russia's invasion of Ukraine unfold. During his prime-time address, Biden offered an overarching narrative of the situation that was steeped in a blend of populism and patriotism — blaming wealthy and foreign entities for the swirl of crises and voicing support for working-class people.

In one breath, he took aim at corrupt "Russian oligarchs" and vowed to "seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets." In another, he vowed a crackdown on "foreign-owned companies" that have raised prices. He criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and issued a warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping. He talked up the importance of buying American-made products and decried an economy he argued has long been stacked against "working people."

Even Biden's new way of talking about elements of what was once Build Back Better had a patriotic theme. "I call it building a better America," Biden said before ticking through several pieces of the once massive legislation that he identified as priorities — lowering prescription drug prices, tackling energy costs and climate change and making child care more affordable. Later, he proposed a "unity agenda" to beat the opioid epidemic, tackle mental health issues, support veterans and defeat cancer.

Biden also hit unifying notes as he voiced support for Ukraine against Russia, drawing applause from Democrats and Republicans.

But the limits of his bipartisan outreach were evident. Republicans portrayed him as an ineffective leader who has presided over a rise in consumer costs, violent crime and international tensions.

"We're now one year into his presidency, and instead of moving America forward, it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time to the late '70s and early '80s," said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, delivering the Republican response.

Democrats have struggled to come up with an effective response to such Republican attacks, polls show, fueling anxiety in the party about its standing among moderate suburban voters who were once key to its success and stoking doubt that the party can recover its footing in time for November.

Midterm elections also tend to depend heavily on which side can turn out its base. Some Democratic operatives say they detect a worrisome lack of energy among their core voters — including young people and people of color — who have been dispirited by Biden's inability to pass legislation protecting voting rights and raising the minimum wage, among other things.

Biden's address had some notable omissions, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "I wish he would have said something about student loans," she said, and, "I think he could have spent a little more time on climate, but I think it's probably a sensitive subject right now."

Where Biden has achieved far-reaching results, most notably in his sweeping pandemic relief law, some Democrats feel the president and congressional Democrats have not done an effective enough job reminding people what they delivered.

In his speech, Biden ticked through some specific achievements, which Democrats said was helpful to an extent. Terrance Woodbury, a Democratic strategist, said Biden created “a lot of content that can now be delivered."

"There's a good story to tell," Woodbury said. "I just hope it's not too late to tell it."

First midterms have historically been rough for the sitting president's party, and Democrats' slim congressional majorities mean they have almost no margin of error. Many Democrats privately said they fear this cycle could be an especially brutal one. Some have effectively written off the House and grown increasingly worried about holding the Senate.

Presidential job approval is a strong predictor of midterm election results, and Biden is in negative territory. Thirty-seven percent approved of the job he is doing and 55 percent said they disapproved, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll. In the same survey, 49 percent of registered voters said they would support the Republican candidate for the U.S. House, while 42 percent said they would vote for the Democratic candidate.