Senator Joe Manchin’s favorable ratings are in free fall since striking a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to pass the reconciliation bill.
Earlier, Charlie flagged a YouGov poll finding that just 12 percent of Americans believe the bill, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, would actually reduce inflation.
But the polling for Manchin is also brutal. It finds that 51 percent of registered voters now have an unfavorable opinion of him, compared to just 21 percent who have a favorable view. In the same poll last month, Manchin was nearly even, with 34 percent favorable and 35 percent favorable.
That means that in a matter of a few weeks, Manchin’s favorability dropped a net 29 points! And there’s no way that can be attributable to anything other than his public support for the Democrats tax, spend, Obamacare expansion, and IRS audit bill.
To be clear, this is not a poll of his home state of West Virginia, and it is unclear whether Manchin will even run again when he is up for reelection in 2024.
But it does undercut the idea that this bill is broadly popular and will give Democrats a big boost in November.
In fact, it’s looking more politically toxic by the day.