Everyone in Washington wonders if Joe Biden will run again. The 79-year-old Democrat and his backers predict he’ll run again. Biden assured Obama he’d run again.
Though it hasn’t quieted whispered worries about whether he will, considering his age (81 in November 2024) and unfavorable ratings.
The party is also braced for a rough midterm election period; some worry unfavorable results could influence the president’s considerations.
Most voters don’t want Biden to run in 2024, poll showshttps://t.co/OpfNEaThmE
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) May 19, 2022
One Democratic strategist predicted, “If he’s compromised, the sharks will circle the tank.”
Kamala Harris
Few dispute Biden’s ambitions for a second term and few Democrats are confident he’ll win despite misgivings.
Vice President Harris will replace Biden if he doesn’t run.
She’s stayed primarily in Washington after a year of office and staff changes. Harris would likely run as the Democratic nominee if Biden decided to retire after one term.
Her social position and personal story make her an impressive candidate. Gaffes in office and her 2020 campaign have raised worries about her political clout.
If Biden steps down, she’ll undoubtedly face rivals. Manley isn’t sure if any Democrats will back the VP if Biden doesn’t run. “I don’t think she has it if he doesn’t run.”
Pete Buttigieg, who campaigned for president in 2020, is going to extensively push Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure program.
Some say he’s eager to run again, citing his stratospheric climb and early primary wins. At 40, he lacks the experience of other Democrats like Biden; he also failed to win over black voters, a vital demographic for Biden.
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) could potentially run. Warren has declared she won’t run if Biden runs. She and others are awaiting the president’s decision.
A Democratic bundler said, “Everything is blocked.”
Most Democrats are currently focused on the midterm elections and a series of national and international concerns with long-and short-term political implications.
These range from rising prices and a possible Roe v. Wade reversal to the Russian war in Ukraine and the racist supermarket shooting in Buffalo, N.Y.
Former President Trump casts a shadow over everything and gives Democrats nightmares.
Ron DeSantis
Trump was a significant reason Biden earned the party’s selection in 2020. Many Democrats wanted to defeat Trump.
This topic will echo as Democrats contemplate who should lead against Trump or a Trump-like replacement, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
Biden felt like an odd choice in the 2020 cycle with 24 candidates. He wasn’t as interesting as Harris and Buttigieg or as idealistic as Sanders and Warren. The former VP and senator didn’t reflect on the party’s future.
James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said few people thought Biden could be president. Despite what his vanquished predecessor says, Biden won fairly. In 2024, as in 2020, many may decide that Biden is the party’s best chance to win.
Celinda Lake, one of Biden’s top pollsters in the previous race, says she believes him when he says he’ll run again.
Some on the left reluctantly believe Biden will be the nominee. Sanders and Warren are preparing for the election by writing opinion articles on national sites. Both do many TV interviews as well.
Biden is losing all support.https://t.co/vTkGs4to90
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) May 15, 2022
Moderates believe Biden will be the best nominee. They say his ability to appeal to many groups will bring people back to him, even if they browse around.
Jim Kessler, policy vice president of the centrist Democratic think tank, Third Way, said he thinks the White House isn’t paying much heed to the chatter.
Kessler says it doesn’t concern them. He expects the president to announce his 2024 plans within a year.
