Pritzker stands by Biden as polling shows concerns over fitness

Despite polling data showing voters increasingly concerned about President Joe Biden’s fitness in advanced age, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is standing by the incumbent.

A recent CNN poll shows more than half of Democrats question Biden’s fitness. The 80-year-old is running for a second term. At an unrelated event Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked about the poll and said Biden’s age brings experience.

“Let’s face it, Joe Biden has gotten more done in two-and-a-half years as president than most presidents get done in eight years and it’s because of his experience,” Pritzker said. “So, people can talk about age, but let’s also talk about experience.”

State Rep. Blain Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said that’s “laughable.”

“Our silver spoon governor is out of touch,” Wilhour said. “Tell that to the common working person who’s seen the cost of survival double because of the policies of Biden and Pritzker, the inflationary policies.”

Recent data from The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll shows 44% of respondents have inflation as their top issue, the highest percentage of any listed. As to the candidates, matchups between Biden and former President Donald Trump and Biden and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis are neck and neck, according to the same polling.

“The choice is not between nobody and Joe Biden, the choice is between whoever the Republicans pick out of that lineup, the smorgasbord of extremism from that side the aisle, and Joe Biden,” Pritzker said.

Wilhour said increasing blue-collar wages and bringing peace in global affairs or protecting children in school from radical ideology isn’t extreme.

“But I would call abortion on demand and crazy gender policies where you can’t even say who’s a boy and who’s a girl, I would call that stuff extreme,” Wilhour said.

The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll of 2,500 registered voters across the U.S., conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that 67% of voters are opposed to males who identify as females playing girls' or women's sports