The biggest thing Joseph R. Biden could have going for him in the 2020 presidential race is the fear that voters have that President Trump could win a second term.
A Fox News poll released Thursday showed that Mr. Biden has opened up a 50% to 38% lead over Mr. Trump among registered voters, and that more than six in ten of Mr. Biden’s backers said fear of another four years of Mr. Trump was driving their support for the former vice president.
That compared to 31% who cited their enthusiasm for the Democrat’s bid.
The dynamic is flipped on its head with Mr. Trump – 33 % of his supporters say the fear of Mr. Biden getting elected is the motivating factor, while 62% said their enthusiasm for Mr. Trump is fueling them.
Daron Shaw, who oversees the poll with Democrat Chris Anderson, told Fox News that the findings could prove significant.
“Negative emotions like fear, anxiety, and anger, can be powerful motivators for political participation,” Mr. Shaw said. “The lack of enthusiasm for Biden, however, does create an opening for Trump to define him as out of touch and not up to the task.”
Mr. Biden has led national polls for months, and also has the lead in key battleground states that Mr. Trump won on his way to defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016.
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