Majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to run again – poll

A clear majority of Democrats are not enthusiastic about US President Joe Biden’s plans to seek re-election in 2024, according to a new poll released on Monday.

The survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that only 37% of Democrats say they want Biden to run for a second term – 15% lower than the figure recorded before the midterm election in November.

Overall, only 22% of adult respondents believe that the 80-year-old Biden should run for another four-year term. This is down from 29% prior to the midterms.

The poll notes that the dwindling numbers of Democrats approving of Biden’s potential re-election bid seem to be based on the sentiment prevalent among younger voters.

The lack of enthusiasm for Biden appears most pronounced among younger Americans. Among those aged 45 or over, 49% said the president should run again. Only 23% of respondents under 45 felt the same, however.

According to AP, in follow-up interviews, some respondents suggested that Biden’s age would hamper his ability to perform his duties, noting his cough, gait, and recurring public gaffes.

The latest gaffe came during a White House event on Thursday, in which Biden bragged about the gender composition of his cabinet, saying: “more than half the women in my administration are women.” 

In January, Biden attempted to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the daughter-in-law of civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr, but failed to recall her name. At a public event in September, he inquired as to the whereabouts of Representative Jackie Walorski (R-Indiana), who had died in a car accident a month earlier.

Biden has on numerous occasions signaled that he plans to seek re-election, but has stopped short of officially launching his campaign, saying the final decision will hinge on his health and discussions with his family. 

Former US President Donald Trump, Biden’s main opponent in the 2020 election, formally announced his intention to run again in mid-November.