If Joe Biden is fit to be president, he better prove it, and fast

If Joe Biden’s campaign had a dashboard, every light would be blinking red. His chances for reelection are looking slim, and would sit at zero if he didn’t have such a divisive and unpopular opponent.

Revving up for his State of the Union address on Thursday, the president tried to boost his appeal with an appearance on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” alongside Amy Poehler.

The comedians tried their best to make him look good, but Biden wouldn’t — or couldn’t — play along. Even Biden-friendly Variety noted he “appeared ill-at-ease” and “seemed a beat behind in catching the joke each time.”

This follows months of Democratic concerns about Biden’s advanced age and declining faculties. Not to mention his collapsing poll numbers.

Biden's State of the Union is 'anemic'

According to Gallup, the president’s job approval has fallen to 38%. On immigration, his rating has fallen to an all-time low of 28%, a drop of three percentage points from the November survey.

Worries about the economy usually takes top honors, but now sits at just 12%.

Considering border security is now the top issue for voters, it’s no wonder Biden rushed to Brownsville, Texas, for a quick photo-op this week.

In a separate Gallup poll, Americans shared their own thoughts on the state of the union. Turns out they feel much worse about the country than they did when Biden took office.

The survey covers 30 aspects of life in the U.S., most of which are well into the negatives. Voters’ faith in military preparedness, immigration levels, gun policies and energy policies all dropped by more than 10 percentage points since January 2021.

A majority remains positive over six of the issues presented, while 13 received satisfaction ratings of less than 33%. Gallup summarized the results by saying the state of the union is “anemic.”

Voters are worried about Biden's fitness

Biden’s low ratings are expected from Republicans, but the damage is quickly turning bipartisan.

An NBC News poll revealed that 54% of Democrats have “major or moderate concerns” about Biden’s fitness for a second term.

This issue was only amplified by the Department of Justice investigation into Biden’s classified documents scandal. Special counsel Robert Hur advised against pressing charges, but a prominent reason for this was the president’s age.

Hur’s report said Biden had “significant limitations,” adding that if Biden faced trial, he “would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Trump or Biden? Why the outcome may not matter

The White House reaction was furious, but his public speeches since only reinforced the bleak assessment.

At one event, Biden confused French President Emmanuel Macron with a predecessor, François Mitterrand, who died in the 1990s. A few days later, he confused former German chancellors Angela Merkel and Helmut Kohl.

You can’t blame voters for noticing the obvious.

Right the ship, or Trump will win

His policies are also upsetting segments of his base. In Tuesday’s Michigan primary, 13% of Democrats refused to support the president, instead selecting “uncommitted.”

In part, this was a protest against Biden’s alleged pro-Israel policies that have outraged pro-Hamas progressives and much of the state’s large Arab-American population.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D–Mich., founding member of “The Squad,” campaigned for uncommitted.

“When 74% of Democrats in Michigan support a cease-fire yet President Biden is not hearing us,” Tlaib said, “this is the way we can use our democracy to say, ‘listen, listen to Michigan.’ ”

The only bright spot for Democratic hopes is ironic: Donald Trump himself. He’s only four years younger than Biden and also gets negative approval ratings in every major poll.

If the current president doesn’t right the ship, and soon, we’ll have a different 80-plus-year-old in the White House.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @exjon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Joe Biden fit to be president? He better prove it, and fast