Biden's SOTU pitch echoes Reagan's 'stay the course'
In the post-World War II era, only three presidents have had a lower approval rating at this point in their presidency than Biden.
Two of those presidents -- Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump -- went on to lose reelection.
The third was Ronald Reagan. In 1983, he was unpopular and facing critics who said he was too old. But the next year, Reagan won reelection in the biggest landslide in the history of modern American politics, winning every state except for Minnesota, home of his Democratic opponent, Walter Mondale.
It’s no accident that Biden is echoing Reagan’s message from 40 years ago. Back then, the country was just starting to recover from high inflation and high interest rates. Reagan acknowledged the pain in his own State of the Union address and, as he launched his reelection bid, his campaign buttons urged the country to “STAY THE COURSE."
Biden’s message on Tuesday? “Finish the job.”
-ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl