Democratic lawmaker asks Biden to ‘pass the torch’
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Even as President Joe Biden faces calls from his own party to be primaried for the Democratic nomination, he remains the favored pick of his party’s voters for 2024.
A 55% majority of Democrats believe Biden shouldn’t run for reelection next year, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Wednesday. Still, the poll found 82% of Democrats said they would definitely or probably support Biden next year.
While a majority of Democrats say they prefer someone else next year, these voters don’t see other options and many of the most popular Democrats in the U.S. are publicly backing Biden’s campaign.
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A NewsNation-Decision Desk HQ poll released last month found Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were Democratic voters’ top choices to run instead of Biden, but all are supporting his reelection bid.
Biden’s only challengers so far have failed to gain traction in national polling.
FiveThirtyEight’s national polling average shows support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has failed to rise above much more than about 15% since announcing his campaign. Kennedy’s comments in favor of a national abortion ban Sunday put him at odds with many Democratic voters, though Kennedy later backtracked on his statement.
Author Marianne Williamson, who’s also running for the Democratic nomination, isn’t included because she doesn’t meet FiveThirtyEight’s “major” candidate threshold.
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Rep. Dean Phillips, a second-term Democrat from Minnesota, said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that he’s a Biden fan but believes he should “pass the torch.”
“I’m a representative, and I’m representing what I believe to be the majority of the country that wants to turn the page,” Phillips said. “Tired of the meanness and the fear mongering of Donald Trump, would like to see Joe Biden, a wonderful and remarkable man, pass the torch, cement this extraordinary legacy.”
Phillips: "People want to turn the page ... As a Democrat, I adore Joe Biden. He saved this country. He can cement his legacy. My real call to action right now is not about me. The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch."pic.twitter.com/K5PoH7I4bZ
— The Recount (@therecount) August 14, 2023
Phillips said he believed moderate governors “hopefully from the heartland” could be potential Biden successors. He agreed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers were potential candidates he thinks could be successful, and added Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the list.
“Some people have asked me that I not use their names because of this institutional fear that it might impact you down the road,” Phillips said, but he encouraged Democrats to run.
“I want anybody who wants to run — Joe Manchin, Cornell West, any of the governors — in the primaries,” he said. “Enter the primary, my friends. Everybody who is on the bench, meet the moment. Don’t wait five years. We need you now.”
The Wednesday AP poll found Biden struggles particularly with young Democrats, with 34% of Democrats under 45 saying they want Biden to run again compared with 54% of Democrats ages 45 and older.
The poll also found 58% of U.S. adults have hardly any confidence Biden will reduce corruption in government and only 36% approve of his handling of the economy.
