“Frankenstein” is one of the most culturally significant novels of the last 300 years. As the story of a creation that brings about the ruin of their creator, Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece is a timeless metaphor for the intersection of science, technology and hubris.
We’ve seen an increasing number of voters voting uncommitted in democratic primaries across the country; states like Wisconsin, Connecticut and Michigan had thousands voting uncommitted as a direct protest of President Joe Biden’s policy in Gaza. It’s not just uncommitted voters; Biden is also losing support across numerous important categories.
In 2020, Black voters favored Biden over Trump 92% to 8%, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. In the most recent Wall Street Journal survey, Biden’s support among Black voters sat at 68%.
Biden won Latino voters 59% to 38% in 2020, according to Pew, but the Journal’s most recent survey showed Biden with 48% support among Latino voters in the swing states. In addition, the new survey showed Biden registering 50% support among swing-state young voters, who have been especially vocal in their disapproval of the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. In 2020, young voters aged 18-29, backed Biden over Trump 59% to 35%, according to Pew.
More than half a million uncommitted votes have been cast in primaries coast-to-coast according to organizers. Despite these clear indicators of dissatisfaction from the electorate, democratic party leadership and Biden — much like Victor Frankenstein — have been adamant on downplaying the threat their angered creations present.
Parts of the anger towards Biden are largely out of his control; voters tend to blame anything that goes wrong on the President, regardless of who’s in power. This is combined with some of the highest levels of political polarization within Congress, as well as burdens of incumbency which have existed long before Biden assumed office. However, much of the anger is due to policies that Biden has supported and has refused to back down from.
75% of youth voters have expressed disapproval of Biden’s policy in Gaza, one of appeasement and deference to the Israeli government. While he has privately expressed disapproval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — calling him a “bad f**king guy” at one point — it hasn’t stopped him from giving Israel billions in weapons and aid.
It’s not just in the Middle East; Biden’s policy on the southern border has also been received with an abundance of criticism. In his own words, Biden set out to “restore our moral standing in the world and our historic role as a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers, and those fleeing violence and persecution.” Despite this promise, Biden maintained the strict Trump-era border policy known as Title 42 that has allowed the government to quickly expel migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, and while the administration now plans to lift Title 42 next month, there are few signs that Biden will significantly loosen his approach to immigration.
On top of the concerns over policy there are also concerns regarding his overall fitness. While his opponent is a complete and utter oaf, that doesn’t diminish the valid concerns over his age. A recent special counsel report described the 81-year-old’s memory as hazy, fuzzy, faulty, poor and having significant limitations. It also noted that Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.
I’m not delusional; come Nov. 5, it’s going to be either Biden or Trump that will be elected. However, it is incredibly frustrating seeing how nonchalantly democratic leadership is reacting to the anger of the voters who have won them the past few elections. In 2018, 2020 and 2022, young voters were pivotal to help Democrats win the House (2018), Senate and Presidency (2020) and maintain the Senate in 2022. Yet, they continue to refuse to meaningfully engage with these voters. I opened this column with an allusion to a story about a creation destroying its creator; in this instance, if Democrats aren’t smart, they risk being abandoned by the very voters who gave them their power to begin with.