As congressional Democrats close in on a deal on President Biden's pair of signature infrastructure bills, a pair of polls of constituents of important swing vote senators Kirsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia suggest Democrats are failing to win over voters in their states.
A majority of those polled (52%) in West Virginia supported scrapping the Build Back Better bill, citing concerns of inflation and potential future tax increases. Only 32% is respondents supported passing the bill now. Results in Arizona were only slightly more favorable, with a strong plurality of voters (47%) still opposed to the bill.
This poll may be a warning to Democrats as they enter final negotiations on the reconciliation bill.
First, the strategy taken by progressives of accusing senators Manchin and Sinema of corruption and attacking them in local newspapers is likely counterproductive. By framing the issue as an issue of a progressive agenda against their constituents wishes, they are actually forcing Manchin and Sinema to take a harder position than they may have wanted to.
Second, and more importantly, this is a warning that passing Biden's agenda alone is likely not going to be enough to bolster Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections. Many of the benefits will not be seen yet by then and while the pair of bills is popular nationally, it appears they are not popular with voters in important swing states like Arizona. Democrats have the opportunity to pass one more reconcilation bill before the midterms, they will have to choose carefully and make sure to get out and sell that bill better than they have this one.