Maybe nothing illustrates Joe Biden’s presidency higher than a photo his team posted to celebrate his 81st birthday on Monday.
Biden is proven gripping the perimeters of the desk, whereas a mass of candles (presumably 81 of them) rages on the cake in entrance of him.
It’s symbolic of how he’s clinging to the hope of successful a second time period, whatever the dumpster fireplace of his low approval rankings and the dissatisfaction among the many American folks along with his job efficiency.
And regardless of how a lot Biden and his administration dismiss issues about his age (or joke about it), voters are fearful.
Actually who’s the communications genius who thought placing 81 candles on Biden’s cake was a good suggestion? It appears like world after Biden’s first time period – utterly engulfed in flames. pic.twitter.com/5SzHuPKAgT
— Marc Thiessen 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦🇹🇼🇮🇱 (@marcthiessen) November 21, 2023
On Biden’s birthday, White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that “we have now to evaluate him by what he’s completed, not by his numbers.”
“I’d put the president’s stamina, the president’s knowledge, capability to get this completed on behalf of the American folks, towards anybody,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “Anybody, on any day of the week.”
Biden staffers can play make-believe all they need, however voters are smarter than that.
Is Biden too outdated? President is acting old and Americans are concerned. The good news? We’re talking about it.
The numbers do not lie
Ballot after ballot has proven voters – even the vast majority of Democrats – are fearful about Biden’s age and continued capability to hold out the nation’s most necessary job. In September, a Wall Road Journal ballot confirmed that 73% of voters said Biden is too old to run for reelection.
It’s not Biden’s age alone – it’s how he acts. For instance, at 77, former President Donald Trump is just some years youthful, however solely 47% of voters mentioned Trump’s age was an obstacle to working once more.
Normally, voters aren’t pleased with the standard of their lives below Biden. A brand new NBC Information survey confirmed that the president’s approval ranking has fallen to its lowest level – solely 40% approve of his performance.
Different warning indicators embrace a drop-off of help amongst Black voters, a usually loyal Democratic bloc. A number of polls have proven that no less than 20% of Black voters say they’d support Trump, who’s the present GOP front-runner, if the election had been held now. That is a big enhance from the 12% who voted for Trump in 2020.
Equally, younger voters who overwhelmingly backed Biden in 2020 are showing less enthusiasm this time around now that they’ve seen him in motion. Biden has regularly tried to woo this group with taxpayer-funded “freebies” like scholar mortgage forgiveness, however even that pandering won’t earn their vote.
C’mon man! SCOTUS put kibosh on Biden’s loan forgiveness. That’s not deterred him one bit.
If it is Trump vs. Biden, odds are trying unhealthy for Joe
Democrats began out feeling fairly smug about their odds in a Biden-Trump rematch, however that confidence is waning. Or it needs to be. Even with all the luggage and felony indictments, Trump stays a power – no less than compared with Biden.
When it comes all the way down to it, voters will make their choices based mostly on what’s greatest for them and their households. And a rising quantity say they belief Trump extra on the economic system, overseas coverage and immigration.
Out of 12 nationwide polls in November, 10 of them have Trump leading Biden in a hypothetical matchup.
That is mirrored in battleground states that will likely be key to successful the White Home in 2024.
A latest Michigan ballot performed by EPIC-MRA discovered that Trump leads Biden by 46% to 41% in the important thing Midwestern state. Biden’s help is eroding rapidly. In August, the identical polling agency confirmed Biden with a 46% to 45% lead over Trump.
America wants actual leaders: Surely Republicans can do better than Trump. Right?
And a New York Instances/Siena Faculty ballot launched this month had Biden losing to Trump in five of six battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania) by 4 to 10 factors.
So what are Democrats alleged to do? There’s no clear different. Biden exhibits no indicators of bowing out voluntarily. And the opposite apparent alternative – his Vice President Kamala Harris – is disliked even more than he’s.
Different Democrats have an interest, nevertheless, in main the celebration and the nation. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is clearly working a shadow marketing campaign. For example, Newsom will debate Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis later this month.
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Within the months forward, Biden faces a grueling marketing campaign schedule, to not point out the stresses of his day job. Whereas he was capable of do much of the 2020 campaign from his Delaware home resulting from COVID-19, the president received’t have the ability to get away with that this time.
The nation doesn’t desire a Biden-Trump rematch. But when it will get one, count on a really totally different end result.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, previously Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques
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This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Can Trump win in 2024? Biden is doing his best to make it happen
