"The Biden Honeymoon is Over" - New Harvard Harris Poll - Mark Penn & Bob Cusack

Presidential Pollster Mark Penn is joined by Bob Cusack, Editor in Chief of The Hill, to discuss a new Harvard-Harris Poll, fielded July 28-29, 2021 among 1,788 registered voters.

TOPLINE FINDINGS
- BIDEN HONEYMOON HAS COME TO AN END - APPROVAL SLIPPED 10 POINTS
- AMERICANS ARE SPLIT ON WHETHER COUNTRY IS ON RIGHT OR WRONG TRACK
- THERE’S BEEN A REVERSAL IN PERCEPTIONS OF THE DIRECTION OF THE ECONOMY
- PERCEIVED STRENGTH OF THE U.S. ECONOMY TOOK A DIP MONTH OVER MONTH
- MORE VOTERS SAY THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE, UP 9 POINTS
SINCE MARCH
- SEVERAL JOB APPROVAL METRICS ARE WORSENING, CORE AMONG THEM MANAGING THE ECONOMY, REACTING TO COVID, DEALING WITH CRIME &  VIOLENCE
- DEMOCRATIC PARTY APPROVAL IS AT 48%, DOWN 7 POINTS
- GOP APPROVAL MATCHES DEMOCRATIC APPROVAL, BUT ALSO DOWN 5 POINTS
- OVERALL CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL HAS SLIPPED BY 9 POINTS
- THE DELTA VARIANT HAS PRIORITIZED COVID-19 AS THE COUNTRY’S TOP ISSUE

DOWNLOAD THE POLL

Bob Cusack has been reporting on policy and politics in the nation’s capital since 1995. He joined The Hill as Business and Lobbying editor in 2003 and became the newspaper’s managing editor a year later. He became the editor in chief in 2014.

Cusack has won five awards from the National Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists for investigative articles on a range of issues, including national security, healthcare and 2008 presidential politics surrounding Hurricane Katrina.

Cusack regularly appears on MSNBC, Fox, ABC and CNN as a political analyst.

Before joining The Hill, Cusack was a chief editor at Inside Washington Publishers.

A native of New York City, Cusack received his B.A. in journalism from Loyola College in Maryland. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has appeared in commercials, television shows and feature films.

Mark Penn is the President and Managing Partner of The Stagwell Group, a private equity fund focused on the marketing services industry. In this role, Penn directs the acquisition process and oversees the Group’s portfolio companies.

Mark Penn’s career spans 40 years in advertising, market research, public relations, polling and consulting.  He has advised top world leaders, led companies, and written two bestselling books.  

Currently, Mark serves as President and Managing Partner of private equity The Stagwell Group as well as CEO of the fund’s largest investment, MDC Partners.

As “The Place Where Great Talent Lives,” MDC Partners is celebrated for its innovative advertising, public relations, branding, digital, social and event marketing agency partners, which are responsible for some of the most memorable and effective campaigns. By leveraging technology, data analytics, insights and strategic consulting solutions, MDC Partners drives creative excellence, business growth and measurable return on marketing investment for over 1,700 clients worldwide. MDC Partners is part of Stagwell Group’s strategy to invest in digital marketing services companies.  With over $500 million raised, Stagwell has made over 20 investments in under four years, delivering what investors call, “a superior operating model.”

Prior to founding Stagwell, Mark served in senior executive positions at Microsoft. As Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, he was responsible for working on core strategic issues across the company, blending data-analytics