Think Tank Director: More Americans Want Biden Out of White House Than Regime Change in Russia

More than half of Americans polled would rather see Joe Biden losing power in the US than Vladimir Putin stepping down in Russia, indicates a Democracy Institute survey for the Daily Express. Patrick Basham, founding director of the Democracy Institute, has explained what's behind the numbers.

While delivering his speech in Warsaw, Poland, on 26 March US President Joe Biden apparently went off script by claiming that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power." Even though the White House ruled out that the president meant a regime change in Russia, similar statements were also voiced by American pundits and US congressional leaders. Moscow condemned the calls as absolutely unacceptable and devastating for Russo-American relations.

However, it appears that the majority of American people don't share the Washington establishments' aspirations, according to the latest poll by the Democracy Institute, a Washington- and London-based, politically independent research organisation, conducted for the UK newspaper Daily Express. When asked which would be better for the US, 52% picked "Biden loses power in the US" over 43% who chose "Putin loses power in Russia".

Sputnik: Could you please comment on your survey's findings? What are the major factors behind this stance?

Patrick Basham: It is a massive indictment of the Biden presidency that more Americans wish he would lose power before President Putin does. This finding reflects the American public’s deep disenchantment with the results of the Biden administration. With inflation skyrocketing, violent crime spiking, and food shortages on the horizon, Americans are focused upon the issues that directly and tangibly affect their lives. As Biden’s policies are negatively impacting them, Americans think his departure from office would be more beneficial to them than Putin’s departure. Americans do not approve of Putin generally, and especially regarding the Ukraine crisis, but they do not see him, or Russia, as a looming threat to America or to their day-to-day lives.

Sputnik: Why are more than half of American respondents dissatisfied with Joe Biden's handling of the Ukrainian conflict? Do they want the Biden administration to take a tougher stance and become more involved in the conflict? Or would they prefer for Biden to focus on domestic problems?

Patrick Basham: The majority of Americans who disapprove of Biden’s performance on Ukraine are divided into two groups. Two-thirds of those who disapprove think Biden’s priorities are all wrong. They want him to prioritise fixing America’s economic, educational, and migration problems. The most common refrain among those who disapprove is that, “Biden should worry more about America’s border with Mexico than Ukraine’s border with Russia,” which reflects deep and growing public opposition to the flood of illegal immigrants crossing into America with the tacit approval of the Biden administration.

One-third of those who disapprove believe he was too late to act against Russia and that his belated actions have been too weak. Among this group are found a lot of the voters who would like to see regime change in Russia, but strongly doubt Biden’s willingness and ability to follow through on the threat he issued in his Warsaw speech.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden Meet in Geneva

© Sputnik / Sergey Guneev

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Sputnik: What do American respondents mean by saying that the US is "heading in the wrong direction" under Joe Biden? What political course would they call the "right" one, in your opinion?

Patrick Basham: Seven out of ten Americans say the country is on the wrong track because they are so dismayed at the course the country has taken under President Biden.

This very large group constitutes all of those who voted for Trump in 2020, as well as most independent voters, the majority of whom voted for Biden. Crucially, it also includes a significant minority of Biden voters, who are deeply underwhelmed by his presidency. America’s economic problems, rising crime, and the cultural war that is underway over the future of America’s educational system are the policy concerns underpinning this dissatisfaction.

But, there is something larger going wrong, according to these voters. They don’t like the fact that, since Biden became president, America seems to be far less powerful around the world and she is less respected by her allies and less feared by her enemies. These declines in America’s global influence and image are epitomised, in the minds of voters, by America’s embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan and her inability to forestall Russian intervention in Ukraine. Most Americans are seeking strong leadership from the Oval Office, but that leadership needs to be rooted in common-sense, pragmatic solutions to Americans problems at home and abroad.

Sputnik: Do Biden's plummeting polls mean that his potential 2024 bid is doomed?

Patrick Basham: Yes. Biden is no longer a plausible presidential candidate in 2024. It is very hard to see how he can recover sufficient support over the next two years to be a credible competitor to whomever the Republican Party chooses to be its presidential candidate. And, Biden’s position is likely to weaken further as many respected analysts are forecasting an economic recession in the next year or two. Furthermore, pro-Democratic media outlets, such as the New York Times, are finally covering the Hunter Biden laptop story, a scandal that on its own would sink any president, let alone one already as unpopular as Joe Biden.

Sputnik: Could Michelle Obama become the Democratic Party's possible pick for the 2024 race? Or has the Democratic Party's agenda lost its attractiveness and the Americans are more inclined to return to Donald Trump's MAGA course?

Patrick Basham: More Americans are currently inclined to support Donald Trump in a presidential election than any of the obvious Democratic candidates. Above all, this reflects disappointment with the Biden presidency, as well a retrospective evaluation of the Trump presidency that is more positive than before Trump left office. Americans are increasingly supportive of the domestic and foreign policies favoured by Trump and today it appears that the only way the Democrats may successfully compete in 2024 will be to put forward a candidate untarnished by either the Biden administration or the Clinton family legacy.

Presently, the obvious choice for the Democrats is Michelle Obama. But, she has no interest in a presidential campaign’s harsh spotlight, nor does she possess any enthusiasm for politics generally, quite the opposite, in fact. So, the Democrats will need to scour the business, technology, and entertainment industries for someone with a fresh political face who is also willing and able to compete with Trump, or whomever the Republicans nominate. Given the current political environment, it will be a difficult, and possibly may be a fruitless, search.