Is that why the race is a toss up now? You saying if it were any other Democrat running they would clean the floor with Trump? Sure seems that way
Yes, if a 'normal' Democrat were running against Trump it wouldn't be a contest. If a, say, Reagan-like Republican were running against Biden, it wouldn't be a contest. Biden would be losing by streets, he'd have been lapped several times in the race.
But because it's between Biden--the senile, elderly, fuck up--and Trump--one of the most divisive politicians (at this point) ever to run for president--it's fairly close. That's what it's really down to.
Biden is senile and elderly and has ZERO record to run on. That's why his campaign is running almost exclusively attack ads at this point. Trump on the other hand messages well with his base but has difficulty connecting outside it. The reason he's viable against Biden is because Biden has been so bad in office. People want change, and if the only option to get it is Trump, they're going to vote Trump.
That's really what it comes down to. The Democrats lurched hard to the Left the second Biden got in office, and everything went straight in the shitter as it always does when the Left runs things. McGovern got kicked to the curb for it. Carter got stomped for it. Clinton realized after he lost Congress massively in the mid-terms it didn't work and changed course to a more moderate position. That saved him. Obama was an anomaly with the Black vote and running against very weak Republican candidates. Now you have Biden. Biden has a 4-year record of fucking things up, whereas Trump has a record of 'Not so bad.'
Under Trump, most people saw real gains in their income and standard of living. The world wasn't going to hell in a handbasket. With Biden, if you're in the upper middle class or truly rich, you've made out as your investments and such have kept up or exceeded the high inflation and prices. On the other hand, if you aren't in that top say 10% of earners, you are seeing your finances go to shambles. You are losing ground on pay, can't afford groceries or gas, you rent is up, you can't buy a house or a new car, and you are watching the world go to hell.
That's where it's at right now. People don't like Trump, but they sure as hell
know they can't take four more years of Bidenomics.