“We Don’t Have a Democratic Party Problem, We Have a Joe Biden Problem”: Dem Nominee Phillips Hits Out at Biden Over Latest Plunge in Polling

Jo ShawNov 12, 2023

Minute Read

Dean Phillips, a Democratic Representative from Minnesota, has recently declared his intention to compete against Biden in the upcoming election. Phillips is confident in securing the Democratic nomination for the 2024 Presidency and has been actively hitting out at Biden through various media channels. His primary campaign pitch revolves around presenting himself as a younger and more energetic alternative to the President.

There’s No Statement That’s More Powerful

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Phillips told the DailyMail.com, in an exclusive phone interview, “There is no statement I can make that’s more powerful than the one Americans made in that poll,” He went on to say, “A lot of politicians lie or ignore inconvenient facts, but the American people don’t, and the numbers don’t,” The statement came as Biden was trailing behind Trump in five out of six swing states, as shown in the Times/Sienna Poll.

Accept Reality

As per the report in DailyMail.com, Phillips warned, “The numbers are astounding, and if we don’t start to acknowledge these realities, our government could look alarmingly different come January 2025.”

Take a Hard Look at the Numbers

Phillips also stated, “We have a responsibility to take a hard look at these numbers, listen to what the American people are trying to tell us, and act accordingly.”

People Want an Alternative

Phillips told the DailyMail.com, “The polls predicted last night almost perfectly. And the polls predict that Joe Biden will lose to Donald Trump.” Phillips added, “And there is a massive disconnect between the political-industrial complex and those that make their livings in it and the American people who are screaming, literally in some cases, that they want an alternative.”

We Have a Joe Biden Problem

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Rep. Dean Phillips, who is challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, also commented on the Democrat’s recent wins in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. In response to the news, he told DailyMail.com, “We don’t have a Democratic Party problem, we have a Joe Biden problem.”

Memo Sent to News Outlets

Yet, as revealed in a recent exclusive piece by The Hill, Michael Tyler, Biden’s Communications Director, issued a memo to the news organization highlighting a perceived imbalance in the media’s polling coverage, with a specific focus on the Times/Sienna Poll. The Hill reports that Biden’s Campaign Director initially directed the memo to them. It is slated for distribution to producers and editors at prominent media outlets and television networks.

A Grim Forecast for Biden

Tyler’s memo read, “Despite the ‘hair-on-fire,’ ‘sky-is-falling’ tone we’ve seen from media coverage over the last few days, political predictions more than a year out tend to look a little different a year later. Gallup predicted an eight-point loss for President Obama, only for him to win handedly a year later. A year out from the 2022 midterms, every major outlet similarly predicted a grim forecast for President Biden,”

Zoom Out and Biden’s Leading

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Tyler’s memo continued, “In recent days, the New York Times/Siena College poll has gotten non-stop attention to the exclusion of nearly every other poll. But if you zoom out, you’ll see a more complete picture. There have been eight polls in the past three weeks showing President Biden leading or tied with Donald Trump,” Tyler cited polling from NPR/PBS/Marist, Yahoo News/YouGov, USA/Suffolk, and Quinnipiac University stated the Hill.

Ignoring the Noise

Tyler has also stated in the memo, as reported by The Hill, “that media outlets are ‘fretting over the same polls that have gotten it wrong time and time again.’” Tyler added to the memo that the Biden Campaign was “ignoring the noise.”

Phillips Bid a Long Shot

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Biden still stands as the presumed Democratic nominee for the 2024 election and has a distinct lack of competitors reaching his polling heights. Phillips, at 54, is taking a bold gamble as he attempts to position himself as a longshot contender, aspiring to offer his Democratic party a more youthful and dynamic alternative.

Trailing Behind Biden

Per a Morning Consult survey, Biden maintains a commanding lead over Rep. Dean Phillips, with a substantial margin of 69 percentage points, standing at 73% to 4%.

Phillips Counting on Age Concerns

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Phillips has strategically emphasized a particular vulnerability of Biden, his age as an 80-year-old President. However, despite substantial concerns among Democratic voters regarding Biden, there seems to be minimal inclination to support anyone else.

Biden’s Age Part of the Problem

Phillips reportedly told NBC News, “I am younger,” and said Biden’s age and time in office was “part of the problem” when asked why he was polling so low.

Reinforcing Doubts Over Biden’s Age

Phillips appears resolute in centering his campaign around apprehensions regarding Biden’s age and ability to lead for another four years. As recent polls indicate, this strategy could pose a potential risk for the Biden campaign.

Phillips Could Boost Republican Votes

Attacks on Biden’s fitness for office could potentially strengthen voters’ doubts. Launching a direct attack on Biden’s age might inadvertently amplify a message that Republicans aim to utilize in next year’s upcoming election.

Doesn’t Offer Anything Different

Biden’s campaign and supporters have swiftly highlighted that Rep. Phillips has often aligned his votes with Biden. They emphasize the challenge of pinpointing what distinctive offerings he brings to the table.

Republican Schmidt Campaign Manager

Heading up Phillips’ national campaign is Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s former 2008 Presidential campaign manager. Schmidt notably distanced himself from the Republican Party due to disagreements with Trump. This decision has undeniably sparked some interest.

Dean Will Do Better Than People Think

People went online to discuss Phillips’ run as a Presidential hopeful. One user wrote, “I’m going to swim against the current here and just say that I think Dean will do better than people think. Half of democratic primary voters do not think Biden should run again. He is the only alternative to suck up that energy at the moment. Judging by the cascade of opposition research that has dropped since he announced, the Biden people take him seriously. Could be totally wrong. We’ll see how it goes!”

Just Another Election Spoiler

Another user stated, “He openly believes theres no such thing as racism. He praises white supremecists. His campaign staff is republikkkan. Its obvious he is just an election spoiler, and a bad one at that.”