The campaign strategy for Joe Biden’s handlers has been to offer a vague “finish the job” message while primarily making the election a referendum on his opponent instead of his own lousy record.

First, Democrats picked Biden’s opponent, Donald Trump, through a series of trumped-up, two-tiered justice indictments. As designed, that lawfare rallied the Republican base around the former president, though Democrats will continue fomenting Trump hatred so independents swing Biden’s way instead of voting for a “convicted felon.” A new Fox News poll is certainly good news for Team Biden — the president reached 50% for the first time and pulled ahead of Trump for the first time since October.

Yet most polls show Biden struggling, especially on specific issues that Americans care about most: the economy, inflation, and immigration, all of which Biden has handled disastrously. Thanks to those issues, Trump is even making inroads with blacks. Biden’s clear cognitive decline, media gaslighting notwithstanding, only adds to his trouble.

Along comes Axios with a report about Team Biden’s worries. “Senior Democrats, including some of President Biden’s aides, are increasingly dubious about his theory for victory in November,” Axios says, “which relies on voter concerns about Jan. 6, political violence, democracy and Donald Trump’s character.”

It’s a republic, of course, but saying so sends leftists into hysterics. Meanwhile, Trump’s character flaws, as well as opinions about January 6, are already baked into the cake for almost literally everyone. That worked in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Will it this time?

“Biden’s core inner circle hasn’t lost faith in that approach,” Axios says, which “puts them on an island within much of the party about what will decide the election.” One adviser said, “The polling shows that democracy ended up a top issue of concern for voters in 2022, and it will be in 2024.” In fact, Biden’s polling deficits play to that message, “proving” that “democracy is at risk” because Trump could win, thereby motivating Trump-haters to go vote.

(Keep in mind that’s a statement about Democrat strategy, which may differ from reality.)

Then comes the plot twist. Axios quotes “a person in Biden’s orbit” as saying some have lost faith in the strategy. “Even for those close to the center,” this person said, “there is a hesitance to raise skepticism or doubt about the current path, for fear of being viewed as disloyal.” No one goose-steps like the Democrats.

We’re more than three years removed from the riot on January 6, and in the interim, it is Joe Biden and his Two-Tiered Justice Department that have tried to imprison Donald Trump, not the other way around. We’re also in year four of rampant inflation, which is making life increasingly unaffordable and deeply frustrating for millions, all while Biden has welcomed 10 million illegal aliens across his open border to take jobs and drive down wages.

So, the question for voters this November is essentially this: Are you better off than you were four years ago? If voters care less about that than Team Biden’s disingenuous framing of “threats to democracy” — backed by the still-powerful Leftmedia — then they’ll vote for Biden. If they care about not just their own well-being but the future of the country, on the other hand, they’ll vote for the felon. It’s important.

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