Given that the probability of Biden reaching the age of 82 if he were to run again and win is high, it is perhaps unsurprising that a majority of voters (68%) and even a plurality of Democrats (48%) believe that he is too old to run again.
In a recent article, Andrew Romano of Yahoo News posited that
The survey of 1,516 US adults, conducted from 23-27 February, underscores the central challenge facing the oldest president in American history as he prepares for a likely re-election bid – and the difficult position his age puts his party in.
A poll conducted by Yahoo News and YouGov indicates that a significant proportion of Democrats do not disapprove of the performance of the current administration. A total of 77% of respondents expressed approval. Nevertheless, Romano posits that
Despite their positive views of Biden, many Democrats appear to be worried about what comes next. In June 2020, when asked how concerned they were “about Joe Biden’s health and mental acuity,” just 28% of Democrats said they were either somewhat (10%) or very concerned (18%); the remaining 72% said they were either somewhat (28%) or not at all concerned (44%).
Today, more than two and a half years later, the combined number of Democrats who are somewhat or very concerned has risen by 12 points to about 40%, while the combined number who are somewhat or not at all concerned has fallen by the same amount to about 60%.
Romano notes that the Yahoo News/YouGov poll indicates that Democrats may have cause for concern.
A majority of registered voters (56%) now agree that ‘there is an age at which someone is too old to be president’ (up from 50% in June 2020), with 45% choosing 80 or under as the age they consider too old for the job.
One might also inquire as to the status of independent candidates.
Among independents – the key voting group that often decides elections – 60% say someone can be too old to be president, and a majority (54%) set that threshold at 80 or younger.
That’s obviously a problem for Biden because it’s hard to see how he’s going to win those people back at this point. They’ve seen what they’ve seen.
What are the President’s strengths and weaknesses? I am gratified that you have inquired. The alternative is as follows:
If forced to choose between Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination, more than twice as many Democrats and Democratic leaners say they would choose Biden (53%) over Harris (24%). And “if Joe Biden does not run for re-election,” nearly half say they would rather see “someone else” as the nominee (49%) than Harris (36%)…
Stay tuned.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
