'Truth hurts': Internet agrees as Obama adviser David Axelrod says Biden's attempts to tout strong US economy 'drive me crazy'

David Axelrod believes Joe Biden's economic messaging fails to resonate with the lived experiences of working-class Americans
PUBLISHED APR 8, 2024
David Axelrod voiced his frustration over President Joe Biden's economic messaging (FRONTLINE PBS/YouTube, Getty Images)
David Axelrod voiced his frustration over President Joe Biden's economic messaging (FRONTLINE PBS/YouTube, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: David Axelrod, who acted as the chief strategist for Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, voiced his frustration with President Joe Biden's economic messaging, suggesting that it might not resonate well with voters.

The former White House official's critique highlights potential pitfalls in Biden's reelection campaign ahead of the November election.



 

David Axelrod says Joe Biden needs to put himself on the side of the working-class population

Despite conservative opponents consistently lambasting Biden's economic policies, the POTUS has made economic growth a cornerstone of his reelection pitch.

However, Axelrod expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of this approach, particularly Biden's tendency to tout the strength of the economy.

During an interview with Bill Kristol, he criticized Biden's Easter interview with Al Roker, where the president emphasized having "the strongest economy in the world."

"I wouldn’t go out there and extol the miracle of the Biden economy. It just drives me crazy when he does that," said Axelrod, suggesting that the POTUS' approach fails to connect with the lived experiences of working-class Americans.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 06: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference in the State
David Axelrod believes Joe Biden should stop hyping the 'miracle' of the Biden economy (Getty Images)

The political consultant opined, "Instead of sort of doing what you’d expect Joe Biden to do because he’s a person of empathy who grew up in a working-class circumstance and identify with the concern, he said, ‘You know, I’d tell them we’ve got the strongest economy in the world and, you know, we’re...’ — and he continues to do that. That is the wrong strategy." 

"The right strategy is to say, ‘Look, we’ve made a lot of progress from the day I walked in the door as a country and I’m proud of our country for fighting through this pandemic and getting her back to where we’ve got this much employment," expressed Axelrod. 

He continued, "But the fact is, the way people experience this economy is the way I did when I was growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. How much did you pay for the groceries? How do you afford the gas, and the rent? And these continue to be a problem and I’m fighting that fight.'"

"So I think he needs to put himself on the side of working people in their economic fight here," suggested Axelrod. 

Axelrod further questioned Biden's electoral prospects. With polls indicating Biden trailing former President Donald Trump in various hypothetical matchups, he urged the president to reassess his strategy and focus on winning over working-class voters, who he believes will be decisive in the election.

(Getty Images)
President Joe Biden has made economic growth a cornerstone of his reelection pitch (Getty Images)

He advised, "Bottom line, be more like Joe from Scranton and less like President Biden from Washington. Because those are the voters, Bill, who are going to decide this election. Working class people, Black, White, and Hispanic, who are very much scuffling still in an economy that has improved."

This criticism from Axelrod comes amid reports of tensions within the Democratic Party regarding Biden's reelection strategy, as reported by Fox News

Politico columnist Jonathan Martin previously talked about the POTUS' frustration with Axelrod's warnings about his electoral prospects, highlighting a purported derogatory remark made by Biden in private.

"Calling David Axelrod ‘a p----' in private… is not a strategy to win 270 electoral votes. And repeating a PG version of the same animus in public while litigating polling with the White House press corps also won’t make Biden’s re-election any likelier," wrote Martin for Politico

Internet reacts to David Axelrod's remarks regarding Joe Biden's economic messaging

One wrote, "Even Obama's hard advisor thinks Biden is wrong," and another exclaimed, "TRUTH HURTS!!!!"

"Even high-ranking Democrats think Biden is full of c**p on the economy," noted a person, while someone else stated, "Every normal American knows he's full of it. He's not helping anyone but lying." 

An individual declared, "We need more David Axerold's." 



 



 



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online. 

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