As party primaries approach, there are growing concerns among the US Democratic Party about Joe Biden’s ability to fully participate in the campaign and generally survive through the end of his second term if re-elected. Many people believe that it is time to retire at this age. For example, 87% of Americans over the age of 75 are no longer working. Although there is a small age difference between Biden (80 years old) and Trump (77), the latter seems “more vital” and does not cause such fears. Moreover, the main problem for Trump is no longer his age, but the four criminal cases awaiting him.
In addition to concerns about Biden’s health, there are also the impeachment investigation initiated by Republicans in Congress and criminal investigations against his son Hunter.
Nearly half of Americans support impeachment investigation: What kind of joint work did father-son Biden do? Let’s take a look across the country.
There are also such “curious” among Democrats – 36%, among Republicans, of course, there are more – 63%. American society, of course, does not like high-level corruption. Although I don’t like politics on this issue.
Of particular concern is Biden’s running mate for vice president, Kamala Harris, who is even less popular than her boss (her rating is also low among Democrats) and who, in the view of many, is unfit for the presidency if anything happens. therefore it needs to be replaced. But Biden doesn’t want to change that yet. Old people, you know, get used to the same faces around them and often do not accept new ones.
More than three-quarters of Americans and two-thirds of Democrats believe Biden is too old to serve a second term, polls show. And this is despite an overall low approval rating for his work (38-39%). Just over a third are confident that Biden will stay in office until the end of his second term, when he turns 86. As for Trump, there are more of them: 55%.
The level of support for Trump and Biden is about the same – 36-38% each, although the Electoral College (which is the body that officially votes for the president based on the results of elections by state) should be taken into account in recent times. were slightly more pro-Republican due to the distribution of electoral votes in different states (there are traditionally slightly more “Republican” states), so to win a Democrat would have to have an advantage in absolute vote count in the country of at least 4-5%. Currently, both Biden and Trump are certain to be nominated from their own parties, they have no serious rivals there. Moreover, the more criminal complaints there are against the former president, the stronger his support for his own party.
Of course, Biden’s circle, like every president’s circle, is ashamed to look the bitter truth into his eyes. They say everything is fine, but the hostility of many people to Trump in America is so great that they will even vote for the half-dead Biden. I must admit there is some truth in this.
Therefore, we should not think about the age of the boss and move forward boldly. In addition, the leader’s entourage does not want to lose their jobs – everything is clear here too. The Biden campaign has already launched a $25 million advance advertising campaign that includes television spots shot during the energetic and cheerful president’s nearly 40-hour round trip to Ukraine.
Biden himself is very confident in his abilities and has no plans to go anywhere. “I’m running because the fate of democracy is at stake,” he asks, no more, no less, which means democracy will be ruined if Trump returns. In other words, “if not me, who?”
If Biden participates in the primaries (and so far everything is heading towards that), he will be guaranteed the party’s nomination. But just under 70 percent of Democrats would prefer to see someone else as the party’s presidential nominee if the veteran resigns at the last minute. Is there anyone else there? How long is the Democratic bench?
Let’s say it’s not empty, but it’s not overcrowded either. Although, in the primaries, President Robert Kennedy Jr. and those nominated against author Marianne Williamson should not be taken seriously. History shows that all attempts by a person within his own party to challenge an incumbent president to run for a second term are, as a rule, unsuccessful. The present case does not yet qualify as an exception. In such a situation, serious candidates prefer to “not spoil their karma” and wait for the new election period.
If Biden gives up, many politicians could run instead.
First in line is Kamala Harris. Because not aiming for more as vice president is not a good thing. Trump’s former running mate, Michael Pence, is running in the primaries. With zero chance. But Harris also has almost no chance of winning the primaries. He tried in the last elections, but performed poorly.
One of Democrats’ rising stars is California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a man with far-reaching ambitions who, among other things, has indirectly criticized Biden. But for now, he’s clearly biding his time and may have issues with his “hardcore liberal” image outside of California.
Some are optimistic about the political future of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former naval intelligence officer. Unlike Harris, she performed quite well in previous primaries. It performs well on television and generally withstands political blows well. In our country, of course, because Buttigieg is openly gay (the first such member of the administration in history) they will find him openly inappropriate. Therefore he may have little support among blacks (the traditional Democratic constituency). But American society has changed greatly towards tolerance in recent years, so nothing can be ignored.
It’s also worth paying attention to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In 2018, he won the gubernatorial election for the first time in a state considered a “Republican” state, gaining popularity because he does not dwell on general global problems, but suggests how specific problems can be solved “here and now.” Whitmer seems perhaps the most promising name in the Democratic Party today.
But all these politicians have almost no time left for promotion. The most troubling situation for Democrats is that Biden wins the primaries, which is what everything is heading towards, but then he will have to withdraw from the race due to health problems. In this case, there are legal possibilities for the party to skip the primaries and nominate its own candidate, but such a candidate would be in a deliberately losing position relative to his Republican opponent. For now, Democratic Party leaders will try to drag the current president into a second term by any means necessary. In the event of force majeure, problems will be resolved as they arise. The American political system, contrary to popular belief, does not depend too much on the personality of the president. He can work with almost any owner of the White House and solve existing problems.
The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the position of the editors.