Gretchen Whitmer's Chances of Beating Donald Trump: Poll - Newsweek
By: Khaleda Rahman (Newsweek)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Despite calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race after his shaky debate performance on Thursday, a new poll has found that none of the top names being floated to replace him, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, would do better in a head-to-head matchup against Donald Trump.
There is no evidence to suggest that Biden will abandon his reelection campaign, despite polls consistently showing that voters think Biden, 81, is too old to serve a second term.
Seth Schuster, a Biden campaign spokesman, told Newsweek after Biden debated former President Donald Trump on Thursday that the president "is not dropping out."
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on May 4, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. A new poll has asked voters about a head-to-head matchup between Whitmer and Donald Trump. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on May 4, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. A new poll has asked voters about a head-to-head matchup between Whitmer and Donald Trump. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Biden responded to critics calling for him to drop out at a rally in North Carolina a day after the debate, saying he "would not be running again if I didn't believe with all my heart and soul I can do this job."
A Date for Progress flash poll, conducted on Friday, found that the number of likely voters who think Biden should remain as the Democratic nominee for president has declined. The poll surveyed 1,011 U.S. likely voters, including 387 probable Democrat voters, and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The poll found only 51 percent of Democratic likely voters—think Biden should remain the party's candidate after his debate performance, down 12 points from early March.
The poll found that Vice President Kamala Harris was the most popular choice to replace Biden if he dropped out of the race.
However, the same survey found that neither Harris, nor any of the other Democrats being floated as contenders to replace Biden—including Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom—would fare better than Biden in a two-way matchup against Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Newsweek has contacted Whitmer's representatives via email for comment.
In a Biden-Trump matchup, the poll found 45 percent of voters would back Biden, while 48 percent would choose Trump. Harris would perform the same in a head-to-head matchup against the Republican, according to the poll.
Other, lesser-known candidates would perform worse, although more voters would indicate they are "not sure" when it came to those matchups.
Whitmer would garner 44 percent of the vote, while Trump would get 46 percent in a head-to-head matchup, according to the poll. About 9 percent say they are not sure who they would vote for.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would get 44 percent of the vote, compared to Trump's 47 percent. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey would ask get 44 percent of the vote, while the Republican would get 46 percent—California Governor Gavin Newsom would get 44 percent to the former president's 47 percent.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro would each get 43 percent of the vote, compared to Trump's 46 percent, the poll found.
"The fact that other Democrats fare similarly to Biden against Trump suggests that this election is ultimately a referendum on Trump," Thomas Gift, an associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, told Newsweek.
"Typically voters ask, 'Are you better off today than you were four years ago?' in deciding whether to back the incumbent. But Trump is such a polarizing figure that who the Democratic nominee is may be less important than in a typical election cycle."
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This is a phenomenally silly article.
A poll was taken based on the fact that the people being named are not running for president. If any of them became the candidate and started systematically putting Trump's incredible unfitness on daily display, their poll numbers vs Trump would rise . Biden has a lot of trouble convincingly baring Trump's mountainous failings , but none of these younger people would have that problem.
Go ahead run Whitless.
I will gladly create and post hundreds of youtube videos documenting her complete and total unfitness for office; just on her complete and utter mishandling of Covid and two Midland dams bursting thanks to her trying to protect some invasive salt water African mussels. I will also throw in her moronic notion that all of Michigan is on the same power grid; and that by having West Michigan conserve power (she wanted all West Michigan businesses to shut down early to conserve power) it would help Detroit. After someone pointed out to her that it wouldn't work- she kept her mandate in replace- "stating West Michigan should shut down in consolidation for Detroit's power struggles).
The Democrat bench is barren. They have been a disgrace at every level of government.
Hopefully Republicans won't fuck this up like they did during midterms. Of course keep Democrat voters out of Republican primaries must be done first.
Whitmer looks like Einstein next to Trump and that would become immediately obvious.
That comment just proves you have no idea what you are talking about.
None.
She has also done enough damage to the state of Michigan that she will be rejected at a national level.
Michigan is in decline; and she and Democrats are the reason.
Is it any reason that Democrats want to change voting laws so that districts are drawn up by the number of people rather than the amount of voters. Replacing lost population with illegal immigrants is the only way Democrats can stay in power.
Gov Whitmer looks nothing like Einstein
Whitmer, like Newsom are both just darlings to the liberal useful idiot. One good thing if Whitmer runs. We get rid of her here in Michigan.
A very good thing.
Whitmer is not running for president and she is within the margin of error vs Trump. Imagine what will happen if and when Whitmer starts going after Trump on the national stage of a presidential campaign.
The same for the other possible people named in the article.
start at the 11:50 mark, although the whole video is good
More garbage from RINO and never Trumper cheerleader #1.
He partnered with a freak at the Lincoln Project so why should we trust his judgement?
"This is a phenomenally silly article."
Have to agree with you there. Whitmer's chance of beating Trump are zero to none. Their bench is empty, and their cupboard is bare of fresh ideas and forward-looking policies that most Americans want from their leadership. The upcoming ass whupping the Dems are going to suffer in November is going to be wide and deep, affecting many down ballot candidates too. And it was totally self inflicted, Trump and MAGA had nothing to do with it, but will surely take advantage of and profit from it.
Donald Trump is a tomato can.
Steve Schmidt
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That is a boxing reference meaning the person is a punching bag. That is Trump. We just need someone to start punching.
All of your bench are bigger punching bags than Trump.
Democrats have fucked this country up at every level. While they might be able to win elections at a local or state level at those places where "a half full glass of water with a D on it would win" (Thank you Nancy). It is much different at a national level. We don't want Democrats Californication of the US.
Steve Schmidt is a can of corn.
That is a baseball reference for an easily caught fly ball. An easy out.
Can of corn!
Don't underestimate Republicans ability to fuck up a sure thing.
Remember Democrats can still cross over in several states and vote in Republican midterms to ensure they face the worst candidate. It happened in midterms- it will happen again.
Also, Republicans need to remove abortion as an issue. Democrats love to brag about Europe's abortion laws- most of which are far more restrictive than Roe. The party needs to settle on abortion law based on European law and force it through. When Democrats rebel against it for being "too Draconian" hang it on them at a national level for states being able have more restive, and lax, abortion laws.
Seems Newsweek is doing a lot of these for potential alternates to Biden, I'm waiting for the one with Michelle, even though she isn't in the race or a politician....yet.
What's that Bond movie? Never say never?