[Epoch Times] Afghan Withdrawal Prompts First Signs of TroubleBy Sept. 1, the tide of public opinion had turned substantially against the president, with only 42 percent of likely voters approving of Biden.
This sudden drop in public support prompted the first wave of defections among vulnerable Democrats, who rushed to distance themselves from the president.
Rep. Crissy Houlahan (D-Penn.), whose seat has been rated vulnerable by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), was one of the first to criticize the president in a public statement.
In her statement, she contended that she and others had warned Biden of the danger but said that those warnings "fell on deaf ears."
Several other vulnerable House Democrats quickly followed suit.
In the Senate as well, some Democrats began to distance themselves from the president: Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and others made a point of criticizing the withdrawal and promising action and oversight.
Since then, things have only gotten worse for President Biden, prompting more and more Democrats to jump ship in an effort to save their seats in 2022.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), a self-described "conservative Democrat," announced on Dec. 3 that he would join Republicans in a motion to strike down Biden’s unprecedented private sector vaccine mandate.
Though Manchin often stands alone in opposing his party’s proposals, he has been joined by another Senate Democratic colleague, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).
The mandate, announced by Biden in September, would be enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and has faced strong criticism from Republicans, business leaders, and others.
Under a 1990s piece of legislation, Congress can overturn OSHA rules through a filibuster-proof simple majority vote; Manchin’s and Tester’s decision to join all 50 Republicans in this endeavor all but guarantees that the rule will be overturned in the Senate.
But as inflation begins to squeeze middle America’s pockets and with the looming threat of midterms on the horizon, this is a narrative that many Democrats facing reelection can no longer afford to parrot.
In a Dec. 2 letter, Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) led a petition signed by 21 other House Democrats calling on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to address increasing inflation.
"We are concerned about the ongoing disruptions to our nation’s supply chain, which are causing delays and increasing inflation for our constituents," the letter begins.
"Congress must do more," the letter continued."We urge additional action by the House of Representatives to further address the disruptions and higher costs our constituents are experiencing."
Only a few of the Democrats who signed the letter are not considered vulnerable by the NRCC.
Historically, presidential endorsements of tight congressional or state-level races have carried considerable influence; in fact, former President Donald Trump continues to exert considerable influence over the outcome of some races.But Virginia’s recent gubernatorial election showed the cracks in Biden’s ability to sway elections.
Despite the efforts of Biden, former President Barack Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, and others, Republican Glenn Youngkin handily defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in what some predicted would be a tight race.
Observers argued that the race was a litmus test to gauge public support for Biden as he approached the end of his first year, a fact that encouraged Democrats to throw millions of dollars and a slate of high-profile endorsements into the race. Still, Youngkin, who said that "a vote for me is a vote for Donald Trump," won by safe margins.