The middle falls out

Biden is not likely to hit 60 percent approval. Over the past decade or so, presidential approval has been largely static, with partisans holding strong opinions and most of the movement occurring with independents. That’s largely been true for Biden, too. His drop in approval, as measured by YouGov in polling conducted for the Economist, has largely been a function of big declines among independents since late May. Overall, his approval rating has fallen 14 points among independents, including 12 points on the economy. At one point he seemed to be buoyed by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, but since the emergence of the fourth wave of cases in late June, that’s slipped, too.