President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign team determined some time ago that first lady Jill Biden is a stronger asset than the president himself in making the case for his re-election to a second term and having increasingly deployed her as such.

The latest news in that regard is a scheduled trip next week for Jill Biden to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to tout the president's "Bidenomics" economic policies on behalf of her husband, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The first lady will be joined on that trip by Acting Labor Sec. Julie Su, who has yet to be confirmed by the Senate, and they are expected to meet with the city's mayor and a host of representatives from local businesses, educational institutions, and labor unions, among others.

Touting Biden's economic policies

First Lady Biden, who will also be visiting Augusta, Georgia that same day next week, will reportedly highlight the so-called "workforce hubs" that the Biden administration has designated in five cities across the country, including Augusta and Pittsburgh.

Those designated hubs are intended to help spur more public and private investments in various emerging industries, each with its own particular specialty, with Pittsburgh's contribution being innovative work on robotics and biomanufacturing plus the city's clean energy industry and "world-class universities."

The Post-Gazette noted that Biden's task on that visit will be a tough one -- to tout the economic policies of her presidential husband, an area where he has struggled mightily with the American people amid persistent inflation, high-interest rates, and an economy that feels to many as though it is teetering on the edge of a recession if it's not already in one.

Poll numbers reveal Biden could use all the help he can get

Indeed, a recent Quinnipiac University poll found that only 40% of American voters approve of President Biden's handling of the nation's economy while 57% disapprove.

That is a big factor in the president's dismal overall approval ratings, which the RealClearPolitics average currently pegs at 40.8% with a 55.8% disapproval. Notably, at this same point in the term, Biden's approval lags behind that of his three most recent predecessors, as former President Donald Trump was at 43.3%, Barack Obama had 45%, and George W. Bush garnered 52.5% approval.

As observed by the Post-Gazette, the first lady embarked on virtually the exact same trip for the exact same reasons in July, as reported on at that time by Bloomberg News, to help promote the president's "Bidenomics" policies in the various "workforce hub" cities.

Those hub cities, not coincidentally located in the key swing states that often determine presidential elections, were the beneficiaries of substantial federal funding through legislation signed by President Biden like the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Also serving as an "active fundraiser" for 2024 campaign

The First Lady's role as a surrogate to promote her husband's policies as he seeks a second term in office aligns with her other task as a leading fundraiser for the 2024 campaign's efforts in that regard, according to a CNN report in June.

A senior Biden campaign adviser, Elizabeth Alexander, told the outlet at that time of Jill, "In this first phase of the campaign, she will be an active fundraiser, helping to build up the Democratic Party’s resources and infrastructure for the 2024 campaign, and reminding supporters what’s at stake in the upcoming election."

"Her warmth and approachability, combined with her 30-plus years as a classroom teacher, make her an effective messenger on the campaign trail," the adviser added. "As she has been for all her husband’s presidential campaigns, she will continue to be a formidable presence on the stump."

The question that will have to remain unanswered for another year is whether Jill Biden's many appearances on behalf of her husband to raise cash for his campaign and tout his policies and purported accomplishments will be sufficient to convince a majority of American voters to give the elderly president another four-year term in the White House.