New Zogby Poll Shows Biden Much Stronger Among Dems Than Thought and Beating Trump

Biden Challenger Jerome Segal Also Beats Trump, Gets 1/5 of Democrats Against Biden

47% want Biden:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new poll by John Zogby Strategies showed that 47% of Democrats want President Biden as their nominee in 2024, 23% do not, and 30% are undecided. Previous polls had showed that a majority of Democrats did not want the President to run again.

In July, a New York Times – Siena College poll reported that 63% of Democrats preferred that the nominee be someone other than Biden, and in September a Washington Post - ABC poll found that among Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independents, by 56% to 35%, voters preferred that he not be the candidate.

The new poll surveyed 1006 likely voters on-line. It was conducted Oct 5^th and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 % for all voters and +/- 5.3 % for when only Democrats were queried.

The poll was commissioned by "2024 – Segal For President" the campaign committee of social philosopher and peace activist Jerome Segal who is challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination.

Commenting on these results Segal said,

"The new data make clear that it will be more difficult than previously thought for anyone to prevent Biden from getting the nomination, if he decides to run. And this may discourage some from deciding to challenge him. On the other hand, 47% is not a strong showing; less than half of Democrats want a sitting president to run again. The 30% who said they were "undecided" were mostly saying, "It depends on who the alternative is."

"Also, the poll did not measure depth of support. In 2020, Biden won the nomination because it was widely believed that he had the best shot at beating Trump. He needs to show that he can do it again, both against Trump or any other likely Republican candidate. If other candidates show they can also beat Trump, they will have strong support; and if someone shows that they are stronger against Trump or DeSantis than Biden, it's a whole new ball game."

The poll gave Biden the critical element that he needs to retain party support, that he can beat off a challenge by former President Trump. Biden won, 45% to 41%, with 7% saying they would vote for "other" and "6.5%" saying they were unsure.

The poll also examined how Segal would do against Trump. It showed Segal beating the former President by 40% to 39%. Trump actually got fewer votes against Segal than against Biden, declining from 41% to 39%. Segal's margin of victory was narrower because those choosing "unsure" almost doubled, going to 12.7%, from 6.5% in the Biden v Trump contest.

Segal commented:

"This for me is the big news. It puts the campaign in an entirely different light. If you say to voters, "Here are two Democrats, both of them can beat Trump, which one do you prefer?" it totally transforms the race, as it undermines the primary reason Democrats coalesced around Biden. That was his main selling point. No one is really passionate about him."

The poll also pitted Segal in a head-to-head contest with Biden. The President won handily. Segal got 22% of the Democratic vote to Biden's 56%, with another 22% undecided. 

Segal commented: "If it had been known that I could beat Trump, my vote total against Biden would have, at least, been doubled. Democrats overwhelmingly support the new kind of socialism I am advocating. I'm held back because the assumption is that a socialist, especially one without wide name recognition, can't beat Trump. Once it's clear that I can, attention will focus more on what I'm for than on Trump."

Segal is the founder of bread and roses socialism. In the poll this was described to voters as:

"A new set of ideas that blends Bernie Sanders type policies with a key goal of simple living: being able to meet basic needs with a modest income so that one is free to reduce the amount of time one puts in at the job. This would involve a cultural shift towards lives with more leisure time, or more meaningful work, rather than more money and more stuff. Under this approach, everyone would have a legal right to a 3-day job. And with policies such as higher minimum wages and strong limits on the costs of meeting core needs of healthcare, education, housing, transportation and childcare, everyone could have a vibrant life even without a super job. The other 4 days a week could be devoted to pursuing our passions, whatever they might be, with or without pay, or just having more time with friends and family."

Asked how they felt about this new form of socialism, 62% of Democrats said they either "love it" or "like it" and only 12% saying "dislike" or "hate it." Even among Republicans, 33% said "love or like," and 46% said "dislike or hate."

"This again shows the real potential of the campaign. With this underlying support for my policies, as I get better known, and as it is clear that I can beat Trump, support will surge."

Separate releases will detail voter preferences that were surveyed on eight separate questions about bread and roses socialism and its policy agenda, as well as on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both central aspects of Segal's program.

For more information contact Dr. Segal at [email protected] or 445-216-3846

SOURCE Jerome Segal