There is no question President Biden is wildly unpopular with voters. No poll has him anywhere close to above water in approval rating. Further, on individual issues, Biden is also viewed as out of line with what the public wants or supports.

This has all the makings of a replay of the 1980 election, in which Ronald Reagan wiped the floor with President Jimmy Carter by almost 10 points. But no poll suggests a result like that one, or anything close to it, for that matter. Why? Because even though Biden's policies are so unpopular, Donald Trump is just as unpopular personally.

The election is still a long way off, so polling today is more of a checkpoint than anything else. And the checkpoint is not as good for Trump as you think it is. Voters hate Biden’s policies, but they hate Trump the person — not universally, of course, but to a degree that makes everything more difficult for the former president.

Were that hatred not real, Trump would be running away in the polls right now. With the exception of abortion, there isn’t much issue-wise where Biden enjoys popular support.

Biden is underwater on nearly everything. On the economy, the RealClearPolitics average has him at minus-18.6........

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