As President Joe Biden campaigns for reelection, first lady Jill Biden has left his side to tout gains in education, WGHP-TV reported. The first lady made a speech at North Carolina's Guilford Technical Community College on Monday.
It's not unusual for first ladies to use their position as a proxy in the campaign. However, Jill Biden is especially integral to the campaign as the 81-year-old president struggles to push on.
Jill Biden was joined by Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as well as the GTCC president, Anthony Clark. The event began with students sharing their experiences at the institution.
Afterward, there was a roundtable talk "about the importance of federal, state, and local efforts to provide career-connected learning in schools." That discussion included a student from Mount Airy High School student, GTCC students, Guilford County Schools superintendent Whitney Oakley, and Randolph Community College vice president for instructional services Suzanne Rohrb.
The White House touted the first lady's experience traveling to "over 40 states and more than 100 cities" to campaign for her husband, including the trip to North Carolina. "As a life-long educator, the First Lady has been an advocate for investing in workforce training, career-connected learning programs, and pathways to good-paying jobs across the country," the White House statement said.
In reality, she has the toughest job in the world of making her husband and his agenda at all palatable. Typically, first ladies are trotted out to bolster their husbands' image. Instead, Jill Biden may be carrying all of the water for them both as the president's advanced age slows him down.
Biden has struggled with unpopularity for most of his presidency, but he's taking a fresh hit on the handling of his economy. By contrast, former President Donald Trump is more trusted on the issue, Reuters reported.
A poll conducted this month found that 41% of respondents trusted Trump on the economy, while 34% said they trusted Biden. This seven-point advantage is an improvement from the three-point difference in a poll taken in March.
Several indicators point to economic troubles, not to mention that Americans feel the bite at the grocery store and gas pump. The president and his comrades in the leftist media attempt to downplay that fact by mentioning that the inflation rate has slowed, but prices remain high. Jill Biden's presence certainly won't fix that.
Regardless of the challenges, some Democrats are pinning all of their hopes on Jill Biden's presence. The Philadelphia Inquirer called her the "key" to keeping her husband in the White House.
"Voters in focus groups we’ve done solidly feel that if he weren’t up to running, she wouldn’t have let him run. She’s a very important validator for him," Democratic pollster Celinda Lake claimed.
Michael LaRosa, Jill Biden's spokesperson, similarly spoke of her unique role. "Voters crave authenticity," LaRosa said.
"She’s your typical suburban mom and grandmother, who has a slight Philly accent when she pronounces certain words like ‘coffee.’ It’s endearing, and it’s what makes her his secret weapon," LaRosa claimed.
The president is in trouble and needs his wife to help him out of it. Instead of simply standing by his side on the campaign trail, they have Jill Biden out front so nobody will notice how incompetent and feeble her husband has become.
