On Tuesday, April 25th, the current U.S. President, Joe Biden, formally announced his decision to run for re-election in the 2024 Presidential race. Biden displayed a confident attitude toward his role as President, saying, “It’s time to finish the job.” Despite his enthusiasm for completing this new upcoming term and continuing his role in leading the nation, the public consensus isn’t looking too positive.
In Biden’s campaign video, he focused on the importance of continuing to heal the “soul of the nation,” which was his initial intent when he was first elected to office. In the same video, Biden contrasted the potential effects of the Republican agenda, warning against “MAGA extremists lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms [such as] cutting Social Security…while cutting taxes for the very wealthy. Dictating what healthcare decisions women can make, banning books, and telling people who they can love.”
Despite Biden’s promising plans to steer America towards equality and a brighter future, many American citizens have valid concerns and criticism towards his capability to successfully navigate such a demanding position, as he is already 80 years old. According to an NBC poll from earlier in April, 70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, do not think Biden should run for re-election as President.
Despite the legitimacy of the reservations about the impact he will make serving another term in office, it’s hard to ignore the changes he has made during his term. He is helping set milestones for the diversity of voices in the White House, coming from POC and women such as Kamala Harris as the first female Vice President, Janet Yellen as the first female Treasury Secretary, and Deb Haaland as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary.
It’s important for voters to keep in mind the implementations they want to see in America and the bigger picture of what the Democratic Party aims to prioritize, instead of just focusing on their opinions of Joe Biden alone.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/25/joe-biden-2024-enthusiasm-gap-00093790
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/us/politics/biden-running-2024-president.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23786178-nbc-april-2023-poll?responsive=1&title=1
5 comments:
I definitely agree that some concerns regarding Biden's age may be legitimate. However, I think many of Biden's criticisms are overexaggerated - many people see inflation and high gas prices and instantly jump to say that Biden is incapable. This may fall under the model of retrospective voting. It will be interesting to see how the republican party will organize in this election - they seem fragmented and divided over Trump (especially given his criminal charges) and other popular candidates like DeSantis.
I will not drag Biden, but he could of done much more for us. I feel as though Biden has just sat back and been the face of what the democratic party wants to accomplish. They just moved towards their goals more and didn't really cause much change good or bad in the United States. Also, I don't think that Biden can beat out Trump again, or any republican, and even if he does, he already is the oldest president so he will continue to set that record until he dies in office.
From a progressive standpoint, the article raises some valid concerns about President Biden's announcement to run for re-election in 2024. While it's commendable that he is focused on healing the "soul of the nation" and promoting diversity and equality in government, progressives may argue that he has not gone far enough on these issues.
Additionally, some may argue that his policies around healthcare and education reform have not gone far enough to truly address the underlying issues facing Americans. One of the basic stands of his campaign focused on increasing action on climate change reform, yet approved many damaging oil drilling projects since. I'm hesistant to give Biden another chance to follow through on the promises he made during his campaign
One of the primary concerns is Biden's age, as he would be almost 82 years old by election day. Another challenge is Biden's declining approval ratings, which have been driven by concerns over inflation, COVID-19, and the economy. However, it is important to also note that Biden's approval ratings could improve if he can successfully pass his infrastructure and social spending bills, and if the economy continues to recover. Despite this, if the election was today, it would be very difficult for Biden to get re-elected. There is time though, and the division of the Republican party alone could secure him a 2nd term.
I agree that Biden has made good changes in terms of the diversity included in the government, though I think it would be best for younger candidates to run in the upcoming election. People who have grown up in more modern times will most likely have a more modern view on current issues and be better for our country to continue to move forward and improve. While Biden would certainly be better than another Trump or republican intent on stripping away rights and freedoms from US citizens, it would overall be more beneficial to have a more youthful candidate.
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