Joe Biden's State of the Union: Independent voters say 'fiery' president did better than expected but he still faces a struggle to convince them he is fit for second term

Joe Biden sought to set out his platform for a second term and convince voters that he was fit enough to govern for another four years in his State of the Union address.

Independent voters gave their verdict on Friday morning, some grudgingly admitting that he had a good showing but giving a mixed report on his fitness.

The results come from a voter panel put together by pollster J.L. Partners and it suggests Republican messaging that Biden was senile or incapable of speaking for more than a few minutes may have backfired.

With such a low bar, many respondents said they were impressed. 

'Joe Biden did better than I expected because ... I'm not really a political person but I have heard some bad things about him so to hear him talk good in his speech has made me believe he's doing better,' said a 27-year-old computer programmer who voted Biden in 2020 but considers herself an independent.

Pundits agreed that Joe Biden gave a 'fiery' performance at the State of the Union. But pundits don't decide elections. So what did independent voters think of his speech?

To test reactions, J.L. Partners used a panel of 60 independent voters. The results are not statistically significant, but provide a view inside the minds of the audience

Biden addressed a joint session of Congress for 68 minutes on Thursday evening.

He used the occasion to hammer Donald Trump without once using his name. Writers across the political spectrum agreed it was a 'fiery' performance that would lift his campaign.

But what did voters think? 

To test its impact on the public, JL Partners quizzed a panel of 60 independent voters on Friday morning, giving enough time for viewers to digest the headlines and viral clips.

They included a mix of people who said they had voted for Trump or Biden in 2020.

When asked for one word to sum up the performance, the most popular term was 'good.' But the next most common were, 'boring,' 'weird,' and 'terrible.' 

And the responses suggested that some Trump 2020 voters thought he beat expectation.

'He did a little better than expected because he didn't make too many mistakes and he wasn't blithering,' said a retired independent from Texas.

Another Trump 2020 voter went further. 'Did much better than expected,' said the 54-year-old from Louisiana.

The results suggest that Biden surpassed expectations, but that he still has work to do to convince independent voters that he is fit for a second term

The speech is Biden's biggest setpiece of the year, giving him a chance to beam his performance directly into the homes of voters across the nation 

And a 44-year-old business owner from Texas, who did not vote last time, highlighted the absence of flubs. 

'I suppose he did better, since there were fewer moments that were criticized or made fun of,' he said.

But respondents were completely divided on whether he had done enough to prove his fitness for a second term.

'My opinion did not change,' said a 2020 Trump voter, aged 71, from Texas. 'He had some good moments and some bad moments. 

'But he did seem a little bit more engaged and had some energy. He must have had a nap in the afternoon.' 

Some coverage of the night focused on a verbal slip, when Biden referred to murdered jogger Laken Riley as 'Lincoln Riley.'

And plenty of respondents felt Biden had nothing to show that he was up to the job.

'It didn't change my opinion. He was never fit for the presidency,' said a 43-year-old math teacher from Washington state.

James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners, said Biden effectively had one job to do at the State of the Union: Prove to key voters we was not about to drop dead. 

Biden used the speech to try to placate progressive critics who hold him responsible for the slaughter in Gaza, announcing plans to build a temporary port to help aid reach those in need

'He did pretty alright despite supporting the mass genocide of Palestinians,' said a 35-year-old female marine biologist from Indiana, who said she voted for Biden last time

'It might be a low bar, but our conversations with independents showed he cleared it, with many—including Trump 2020 voters—saying he did better than expected, and that he was feisty and fiery,' he said.

'One Trump voter even said she was "shocked" at how well he did. 

'There are still deep concerns about his ability to deliver a strong second-term agenda, and he is going to need a lot more than just one good speech. But Biden put himself a little more in the game with these voters than where he was before the speech took place.'

Overall, 37 percent of respondents said the speech was better than expected, with 20 percent saying it was worse and 34 percent saying it was about what they anticipated. 

But one respondent revealed the challenge Biden faces keeping his coalition together.

'He did pretty alright despite supporting the mass genocide of Palestinians,' said a 35-year-old female marine biologist from Indiana, who said she voted for Biden last time.