Voters expressed their displeasure

(CNN) — President Joe Biden adopted an empathetic and conciliatory tone during his press conference this Wednesday US midterm electionsCongressional control is at stake.

In that sense, the President acknowledged that voters expressed their frustration during the elections. “They were very clear that they are still frustrated. I understand that. I understand that it has been a very difficult few years for many people in this country,” he said.

He also noted that voters “spoke clearly about their concerns,” citing the need to reduce rising prices and inflation, crime and public safety. Precisely, the issues that motivate Republican voters.

Biden Says Republican ‘Red Tide’ Isn’t Happening

Biden argued that this week’s voting results are a sign that democracy is intact, despite threats in recent years. “I think it’s a good day for democracy,” he said of midterm election day.

“Our democracy has been put to the test in recent years, but with your vote, the American people have spoken and proven once again who we are as a democracy,” he said.

He later added, “Even though the press and pundits predicted a gigantic red tide (from Republicans), it didn’t happen.” “I know I upset you a little bit with my relentless optimism,” Biden told reporters in the room, “but I felt good about the whole thing.”

The President said that it is painful that his party lost any seats. But he noted that Democrats “lost fewer House seats than any Democratic leader in the first midterm election in 40 years.”

Victory for Biden?

The President was expected to celebrate the victory faced historical and political winds His presidency now enters a new era of divided government, reeling off Republican victories against him during the midterm elections.

Results George W. Not the “beat” Bush described during his 2006 post-election press conference, or the “beat” Barack Obama said Democrats suffered in 2010.

By contrast, the failure of the so-called “red tide” to materialize Tuesday night left Democrats, including those in the White House, feeling buoyed and vindicated Biden’s political worth after an election season.

“We’ve defied historical trends,” a senior Biden adviser told CNN. “It’s pretty unusual when you think about it.”

The results seemed likely to prompt more soul-searching among Republicans than Democrats, with former President Donald Trump pointing to an imminent announcement that he would run for the White House again. Many of the candidates supported by Trump in races lost or ended up in races with uncertain results.

News of possible re-election

Biden said during the press conference that he still has his “goal” to seek re-election in 2024.

Asked how he interprets Tuesday’s results in terms of his chances of running for another term — if they increase that — his response is that what happened in the midterms doesn’t affect his opinion or its opinion. His family.

“Our intention is to start over. That’s our intention. No matter what the outcome of this election is,” Biden joked after his wife, Jill, sat in the audience and is more popular than a Democrat. .

Asked when he might announce his re-election bid, the president said it would be possible early next year.

“I think … hopefully Jill and I will have a week or so between Christmas and Thanksgiving to get out. I think it will be early next year when we make that decision,” he added. In that sense, the President described it as a “family resolution”.

Challenges Ahead of the Biden Administration

However, if Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, Biden and his team face the prospect of two more years in office. Without a Democratic majority, the president’s agenda will be greatly constrained. Additionally, Republicans have vowed to investigate the government and Biden’s family.

Polls suggest voter dissatisfaction with the country’s economic health continues to simmer. Nationally, three-quarters of voters say the economy is “bad” or “good,” and the same proportion say inflation has caused them severe or moderate hardship.

Two-thirds said the price of petrol was difficult for them.

With more than 7 in 10 saying they are “dissatisfied” or “angry,” voters take a dim view of the country as a whole.

Even if Democrats outperformed expectations on Tuesday, for the president, improving the nation’s gloomy mood will be a continuing challenge. Without a majority in the House, his tools to do so will be very limited.

Now, even as voter disaffection runs high, Biden said Wednesday that he doesn’t plan to make any changes to his approach in the second half of his term.

“Nothing,” he said when asked what he would like to do differently to change the perception of the direction the country is headed. Instead, Biden said Americans will see the benefits of the items on his agenda as they begin to kick in.

“They know what we’re doing,” he said, “and the more they know about what we’re doing, the more support there is.” “It takes time to run a movement. So I’m not going to change,” he asserted.

Biden has spent much of his campaign season focusing on economic issues, including taking steps to cut spending. But he drew some criticism, including from some Democrats, for broadening his final message to include abortion rights and protecting democracy.

Ahead of Tuesday’s results, Biden advisers were ready to defend the tactic and point to historical data showing Democrats are doing better this year than in previous midterm election cycles, which typically result in losses for the governing party.

However, Biden is likely to avoid the allegations and questions. Despite the defeats in the House of Representatives, this year’s results are the best in recent memory for the ruling party.

By comparison, Democrats lost 54 seats in 1994 when President Bill Clinton was in office. And in Obama’s first midterm election, his party lost 63 seats.