Plenty of New Yorkers have their doubts about President Joe Biden, polls show. But Gov. Kathy Hochul isn’t among them.
The Democratic governor attended Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday in Washington, D.C., and lauded his “vision for our future.” Days earlier, on Super Tuesday, she touted his electoral prospects on CNN. And for weeks, she’s been jabbing at former president Donald Trump and House Republicans for tanking a bipartisan deal on border security — echoing a key Biden talking point.
It’s something of a new role for Hochul, who is now leaning heavily into national politics and her position as the de facto head of New York’s Democratic Party. She appears intent to prove herself as a loyal Biden supporter and reliable espouser of Democratic leaders’ views, particularly on immigration and abortion.
And it could be a sign of things to come: Hochul is pledging to be an active voice in the 2024 presidential and House elections, even though she’s not on the ballot herself.
“When the story gets out of [Biden’s] record of accomplishment, people are going to say ‘why did we even entertain going with Donald Trump?’” Hochul said during her CNN appearance. “Let’s stick with the competent leadership, the trusted leadership, and that’ll get us through the next four years.”
A Siena College poll last month showed Biden’s approval rating under water in New York, with 52% of voters disapproving of his job performance and 45% approving.
But the Democratic president isn’t in any serious danger of losing the deep-blue state, which has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since Ronald Reagan won in a national landslide in 1984. The Siena poll showed Biden defeating Trump by 12 points in a head-to-head matchup in New York.
To be sure, Hochul hasn’t always agreed with Biden. Her and New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ push for additional federal funds to help with tens of thousands of migrants seeking shelter…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply