Evan Roth Smith on the gap between voter concerns and Biden’s economic message

Slingshot partner Evan Roth Smith spoke to USA Today’s Deborah Barfield Berry about the first poll from Blueprint, a project that Slingshot overseas, which shows a large disconnect which voters’ top concern in the 2024 election—rising prices—and their perception of President Biden’s primary economic focus—job creation. The poll is a key to understanding why President Biden’s poll numbers at large are lagging with the electorate, particularly Black voters and swing voters.

“The president needs to go out and relentlessly target price reduction,’’ said Evan Roth Smith, lead pollster for Blueprint, a Democratic public opinion group. “Voters don't view him as in the fight on prices.’’

In contrast, he said, they view Trump and Republicans as focused on the issue. More Americans said they trust Trump than Biden to improve the economy by a 47%-36% margin, according to an exclusive poll from the Suffolk University Sawyer Business School and USA TODAY

“There's a real mismatch there,’’ said Roth Smith, whose organization recently polled Black and swing voters. “Voters are running are out there saying 'Prices, prices, prices, please do something about these prices.' And then they look at Joe Biden and think, ‘That guy only cares about jobs, but I have a job.’ Then that's a problem for Joe Biden.’’

Read the full USA Today story here.