On this day two years ago, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States in a time defined by division, a struggling economy, and the COVID-19 pandemic. To get to the White House, Biden defeated Donald Trump with the highest voter turnout in American electoral history earning over eighty million votes. With Trump defeated, many were hopeful for a return to normalcy after four years under one of the most controversial presidents in American history.
That renewed sense of optimism after such a chaotic time quickly faded as the problems at hand worsened. While the COVID-19 pandemic has seemingly quelled, inflation and violent crime have skyrocketed, and American foreign policy has weakened, as the US is giving Ukraine billions of dollars to fight Russia while neglecting its own troubles at home. Not only have many of Biden’s policies been unpopular, but several US attorneys have recently discovered more than twenty classified documents in his personal residence and in the Penn Biden Center, dating back to his term as vice president.
Although Biden still has plenty of time to make waves with voters, the possibility of other Democrats eyeing the nomination in the primary season is high, as many in the party may feel they have a better chance of defeating whoever the Republican nominee will be. If Biden wants to win reelection, he will have to get America back on track quickly or defer the nomination to a more popular candidate.
Despite his age and unpopularity, however, Biden has repeatedly stated his intentions to run for reelection. Despite being the incumbent, Biden is not only unpopular amongst conservatives and independents, but many Democrats do not want him to run either, as his chances do not look great for 2024. If Biden opts to not seek reelection, he will become the first sitting president not to do so since Lyndon Johnson in 1968.
If the Democrats are to choose a new nominee, they will need someone who is a proven leader, has a good head on their shoulders, and can appeal to undecided voters in swing states like Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina. The Democrats caught a break on the midterms and performed very well in Michigan and Pennsylvania largely because they supported liberal causes like abortion rights, voting rights, and more common-sense appeal over their Republican challengers, which could be crucial in holding down the White House. Candidates who seem to fit this profile are Michigan and North Carolina governors Gretchen Whitmer and Roy Cooper, who have not stated their intentions to run for the presidency but could mobilize the liberal base while appealing to many independent voters if they did.
The Democratic Party is in a difficult situation, as Joe Biden is unpopular with most Americans, but most of the party's more powerful figures remain loyal to him. However, no matter closely popular Democrats in swing states align themselves with the President, the Republicans will have an easy time picking apart Biden's presidency on the campaign trail. Labeling the Republicans as election deniers may have worked to some degree in the midterms, but whoever the Democratic nominee is must emphasize what makes them the better candidate in 2024, as the Biden Administration and its allies have fallen out of favor with many Americans.
Unless President Biden can change his policies and redeem himself with the American people, his chances of winning reelection appear slim. President Biden has served in politics for nearly fifty years, and now might be the time to step down and defer his party's nomination to someone else.
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