With Joe Biden evidently suffering from declining cognitive abilities, there has been considerable speculation that he will be replaced on the Democrat ticket before the November election, with the most likely substitute being California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Both men are considered gun control extremists by the Second Amendment community. Biden has been trying to ban semi-automatic rifles and handguns while Newsom has proposed a constitutional amendment which would stress gun control while essentially gutting the Second Amendment.
According to a new Rasmussen survey, only 32 percent of likely voters would approve a Newsom substitution, including 12 percent who would “strongly approve.”
However, a majority of voters (53%) would disapprove of such a switch, including 37 percent who would “strongly disapprove.”
Rasmussen released the survey Thursday, noting, “In a hypothetical matchup between Newsom as the Democratic candidate and Donald Trump as the Republican, Trump would win by a 12-point margin, with 50% to Newsom’s 38%. That’s an improvement for Newsom since March, when he lost such a matchup by 17 points.” Still, the result would be a Trump victory, which Democrats are dreading.
According to Rasmussen’s numbers, Newsom has a problem.
“Thirty-five percent (35%) of voters view Newsom favorably, including 14% with a Very Favorable impression. He is viewed unfavorably by 45%, including 33% with a Very Unfavorable opinion of the California governor. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure,” Rasmussen said.
Breaking down the numbers further, Rasmussen says 41 percent of Democrats would at least somewhat approve of Newsom replacing Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate, as would 30 percent of Republicans and 26 percent of Independents.
However, “In a hypothetical matchup between Trump as the Republican and Newsome as the Democratic presidential candidate, 83% of Republicans, 19% of Democrats and 48% of unaffiliated voters would vote for Trump, while 67% of Democrats, 10% of Republicans and 36% of unaffiliated voters would vote for Newsom,” Rasmussen said.
Translation: Newsom still loses.
Interestingly, Fox News is quoting billionaire Bill Ackerman, a longtime Democratic donor, who [posted on “”X” (formerly Twitter), “Some people are old at 81 and others are sharp, vigorous, and impressive. Compare Warren Buffett at 93 and Biden at 81. Biden is an old 81 who can’t find his way off a stage or stay present and focused at a G7 conference. Is that who should be the leader of the free world for the next five years? A president should not have to be led off stage by hand or with an arm wrapped around him. That is the not the image of strength and leadership we need as a country.”