Despite Debate Stumbles, Majority of Democrats Support Biden Staying in Race

Pollster Harry Enten says Democratic base still has faith in Biden, citing a poll showing two-thirds want him to remain on the ticket.

Despite a shaky debate performance that raised concerns about his mental fitness, President Joe Biden still enjoys majority support from the Democratic Party base, according to a pollster.

CNN polling analyst Harry Enten said Wednesday that the party base remains loyal to Biden, even after his lackluster performance in last week's debate against former President Donald Trump.

Despite Debate Stumbles, Majority of Democrats Support Biden Staying in Race

"The fact of the matter is, most Democratic voters, two-thirds of them, want Joe Biden to stay in this race," Enten said. "They don't want him to quit."

Enten referenced a poll released Tuesday by Reuters/Ipsos, which found that 32% of Democrats want Biden to leave the race after his debate performance, while 66% believe he should stay at the top of the ticket.

Despite Debate Stumbles, Majority of Democrats Support Biden Staying in Race

"Yeah, overall voters want him to leave," Enten said. "But Democratic voters like Joe Biden. The numbers Joe Biden's getting right now don't look anything like the last two times that Democratic incumbents decided, ‘you know what? It’s time for me to step aside.'"

Enten compared Biden's current standing to that of former Presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson, who both declined to run for re-election as incumbents.

Despite Debate Stumbles, Majority of Democrats Support Biden Staying in Race

The polling analyst emphasized that the Democratic base, not "activists," are the most influential group in pressuring elected officials to consider replacing Biden.

"A big issue with getting Biden out?" Enten wrote in an X post Wednesday. "Democrats don't want Biden to leave the race. The voters who could pressure their elected leaders want Biden to stay in. The data right now don't look like Truman (52) or Johnson (68). They look a lot more like Bush (92), who stayed in & lost."

While Biden still faces an uphill battle to rebuild voter confidence after his debate performance, the pollster's analysis suggests that he has a solid foundation of support within the Democratic Party.

Despite calls for Biden to withdraw from the race, the president has repeatedly rejected such suggestions. The Biden campaign has also dismissed the debate performance as a one-off incident and expressed confidence that Biden will ultimately prevail in the election.

The Biden campaign's resilience underscores the importance of party unity in a presidential election. With the Republican Party rallying behind Trump, Democrats are aiming to maintain a cohesive front in the face of internal divisions and external challenges.

As the campaign progresses, Biden's ability to retain the support of his base while appealing to a broader electorate will be crucial to his chances of re-election. The results of future polls and the outcome of subsequent debates will provide key insights into the dynamics of the race and the potential shifting loyalties of voters.