Most left-leaning Mass. voters want Biden to step aside, new poll finds

About two-thirds of Democrats or left-leaning voters in Massachusetts want a younger candidate to take on Donald Trump.

As President Joe Biden isolates with COVID in his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the pressure campaign surrounding the 81-year-old leader and the viability of his reelection campaign is continuing unabated. The results of a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released Friday show just how politically dire the situation has become for Biden here in Massachusetts.

Almost two-thirds of Democrats or left-leaning voters in Massachusetts want Biden to exit the race and cede the spotlight to a younger nominee, the poll found.

The results paint a stark picture between the two major parties at a crucial point of election season. While support for Biden among his base has fractured, about 69% of Republican or Republican-leaning voters said they are satisfied with Donald Trump as their party’s nominee, according to the poll.

Trump formally accepted the GOP nomination Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He recalled the assassination attempt last weekend that left him bloody and one rally attendee dead, as those in the convention hall sported ear bandages of their own in a show of support. The Suffolk/Globe poll was conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, after the shooting. About 88% of voters said that the attack would not change how they plan to vote in November.

Top Democrats close to Biden have begun to accept the reality of their situation and say the president is starting to do the same. They are preparing for the possibility of the president announcing his decision to step aside as soon as this weekend, Axios reported. Polling data, combined with direct appeals from party heavyweights like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have reportedly contributed to Biden’s decision-making.

A nationwide AP poll conducted from July 11-15 found that about 70% of adults think Biden should withdraw. That poll found that 65% of Democrats want a new candidate. Democrats expect polling data from after the RNC to show a “possible blowout” in favor of Trump, Axios reported.

Those elected Democrats who have publicly called for Biden to withdraw have released carefully-worded statements praising him and his record while simultaneously urging him to face the facts. In Massachusetts, 54% of likely voters say they approve of the job Biden is doing, according to the latest results.

If Biden manages to weather the storm of criticism and stay in the race, deep-blue Massachusetts would still likely hand him 11 votes in the Electoral College. The poll found that 47% of likely voters would cast their ballots for Biden if the election were held today with the current candidates, compared to the 29% who would back Trump.

Massachusetts Democrats have put pressure on Biden in the weeks since his catastrophic debate performance. Rep. Seth Moulton became one of the first members of Congress to publicly call for a switch up at the top of the ticket. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said that his constituents are concerned about Biden’s ability to win and said the president needs “space” to make his decision. Gov. Maura Healey, who has worked as one of Biden’s most vocal surrogates, said the president should “carefully evaluate” his odds of beating Trump. Seven Massachusetts state senators said Thursday that Biden should pass the torch.

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 election results appear to hang heavy on the minds of Massachusetts voters. When asked what the most important issue facing the country today is, almost 33% of voters said that it was “the future of American democracy.” The poll found that 26% of voters prioritized the economy and inflation, and about 13% said the most important issue was immigration and border security.