President Joe Biden visited a Philadelphia shipyard on Thursday. The trip was aimed at highlighting where his clean energy agenda intersects with his push for new blue-collar jobs. Pennsylvania has emerged as central to Biden’s strategy of selling his accomplishments to the types of voters he’ll need in order to earn a second term. Biden’s economic message is now branded under the name “Bidenomics” But a Monmouth University poll showed Americans still get mostly negative marks for his handling of the economy, even after Biden’s push for Bidenomics. The president has visited Pennsylvania 27 times since taking office, but hasn’t found a wellspring of support in the battleground state after winning by a narrow margin in 2020. The state is convenient to Washington, making it easy to schedule day trips to factories, construction sites and shipyards. It also holds a central place in Biden’s political identity and has plenty of communities of blue- collar workers Biden hopes to win over with his economic agenda. But a Quinnipiac University poll among Pennsylvania registered voters in June found in a hypothetical rematch with former President Donald Trump, Biden and his predecessor were statistically tied – 47% supporting Trump and 46% supporting Biden. The poll also found that voters in Pennsylvania rank the economy high on their list of most important issues, but close behind was “preserving democracy,” an issue that’s taken enhanced importance as the special counsel investigation into Trump’s role in the January 6 riot appears to be nearing an indictment. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index rose 13% in July, the second straight month of improvement and the biggest over-month gain since 2006. And for the first time in 26 months, US workers’ real weekly earnings (a week’s worth of wages adjusted for inflation) grew on an annual basis last month, according to data released this week from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet a rash of positive economic signs haven’t translated into improved voter sentiment for Biden yet. And 62% of respondents said they disapproved of Biden’s handling of inflation increases, even as price increases begin to begin to ease. And 50-one percent of the poll’s said they disapprove of his Handling of Transportation and energy projects funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law Biden has championed starting to take effect. The index reached its highest level since September 2021 – even though Biden has claimed he was the commonwealth’s “third senator” while serving on Capitol Hill. He also announced the first-ever offshore wind sale in the Gulf of Mexico during a steel-cutting ceremony. The event underscored the type of jobs he has repeatedly said are a priority: Manufacturing positions that don’t require a college degree. “Notwithstanding what the other guy said, windmills do not cause cancer,” he said. The shipyard that will build the Acadia, a ship that will help support offshore wind projects, is based in Philadelphia, where Biden moved when he was young and frequently returns to on weekends. The city’s proximity to Pennsylvania has led Biden to claim he wasThe city’s ” third senator”
Biden returns to battleground Pennsylvania for the 27th time since taking office. Biden returns to sell ‘Bidenomics’
