Biden, Trump Hold Commanding Leads in Respective Michigan Primaries but General Election Is Much Closer

Last-minute polling suggests that both President Biden and President Trump hold commanding leads over their respective rivals in both the Democratic and Republican primaries in Michigan, which will take place on Tuesday. The polling was conducted by Emerson College and the Hill. President Biden’s main opposition for Michigan delegates isn’t another candidate, but rather a grassroots campaign urging residents to vote “uncommitted” in the primary to send a message to the White House that they do not support Israel’s military operations. Mr. Biden — who flipped the state back to the Democratic column in 2020 after a Democratic loss in 2016 — leads the uncommitted campaign by a large margin, 74.5 percent to 8.8 percent. The only Democratic challenger who was tested in the poll, Congressman Dean Phillips, polls at just 4.8 percent. The Listen2Michigan campaign, which is knocking on doors and making calls to voters about voting uncommitted, has won some major endorsements, including from Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. “Right now, we feel completely neglected and unseen by our government,” she says of Mr. Biden’s continued support for Prime Minister Netanyahu. “If you want us to be louder, then come here and vote ‘uncommitted.’” A former congressman, Andy Levin, says he will also vote uncommitted in protest, but also hopes that Mr. Biden beats Mr. Trump in the general election. “If you take out Arab-Americans, if you take out Muslims more broadly, if you take out voters of color more broadly, if you take out young voters — I don’t see how we can get there” in a general election, Mr. Levin said. “I am really strong for Joe Biden on November 5, but I actually think this is a really smart strategy.”“This will hopefully send him a message,” Mr. Levin says of the president. “He needs to step up and be a peacemaker.”Mr. Trump, meanwhile, leads his only GOP opposition, former ambassador Nikki Haley, by a similarly wide margin. The former president enjoys 69.2 percent support, while Ms. Haley stands at 20.3 percent. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus three percent. In the general election, it is a statistical tie between Messrs. Biden and Trump in a two-man race. According to the poll, if the election were held today, Mr. Trump would win 46 percent of the vote to Mr. Biden’s 44 percent. In 2016, Mr. Trump became the first Republican to win Michigan since 1988. In November of last year, Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump, 43 percent to 41 percent. In January, Mr. Trump opened a lead outside of the margin of error. The former president led with 47 percent to Mr. Biden’s 41 percent. Mr. Biden’s approval rating in the state is fairly dismal for a man who is trying to win reelection. Among voters, just 37.6 percent approve of his job performance, while 51.5 percent disapprove. The state’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, fares much better. In total, 48.6 percent of Michiganders approve of her job performance, while only 40.4 percent disapprove. Voters also say that Mr. Biden’s age and mental acuity is a greater concern than Mr. Trump’s four criminal indictments. Just 55.4 percent of voters say Mr. Trump’s legal trouble “raises doubts” about their willingness to support him, while 57.1 percent say the same about the incumbent’s age.

Biden, Trump Hold Commanding Leads in Respective Michigan Primaries but General Election Is Much Closer

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