• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

2024 and Modern Memory

An exclusive new Puck and Echelon Insights poll suggests that voters’ perceptions aren’t necessarily aligned with reality these days—a troubling sign for Biden.

joe biden
A string of recent polls reveals a frustrating gap between perception and reality: It’s a big reason Joe Biden could lose in November. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Peter Hamby
May 21, 2024

Lee Atwater had a rule of thumb about campaigns and public opinion: The truth is whatever people believe it is. Atwater—Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush’s sharp-elbowed evangelist for the power of paid media—wanted that to be true back when he was buying radio spots and bombarding voters with direct mail. But the adage feels even more profound today, in a world defined by algorithms, identity politics, and the choose-your-own-adventure maze of partisan media.