Bill Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time,” admitted Friday that he is “very nervous” about Joe Biden’s chances of defeating President Donald Trump in November.
Speaking with MSNBC host Joy Reid, Maher said he believes the Republican National Convention’s optimism will prove very effective — so much so that his Biden enthusiasm is tanking.
“I don’t know if this stuff works, but it might,” Maher said, Fox News reported. “I am feeling less confident about this — maybe it’s just their convention bump got to me, but I’m feeling less confident than I was a month ago.”
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In fact, Maher explained that the GOP’s strategy of presenting diversity — in the face of the DNC emphasizing conformity — has him feeling uneasy about Biden’s electability.
“People do have their own minds. I’ve never been a fan of conformity. I’ve never been a fan of, ‘We all wear pink on Wednesday,’ we all have to do this, we all have to say this, we all have to do this then,” Maher said. “I don’t bend the knee and I get that people are pushing back at that kind of stuff.”
“I feel very nervous, the same way I did four years ago at this time,” Maher revealed.
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I’m Nervous About Election Day, ‘The Same Way I Was Feeling Four Years Ago’ | The ReidOut | MSNBC
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The HBO host went on to explain that he thought the optics of Trump’s nomination acceptance speech — at the White House with an audience that did not conform to face mask requirements — is one that likely resonates with many Americans.
“To portray that idea that ‘I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees,’ yes, I think that is attractive to a degree,” Maher said, The Wrap reported. “They looked optimistic, they looked like the country isn’t falling apart, even though the country is falling apart. And optimism very often wins elections.”
Indeed, the Republican Party’s strategy of optimism and diversity appears to be working.
Prior to the Republican convention, the Morning Consult poll found that Biden led Trump by a 10-point margin, 52% to 42% among likely voters. The updated poll, released Saturday, found that Biden’s lead had shrunk by four points; now, Biden only leads by a six-point margin, 50% to 44%.