NYT Poll: 64 Percent of Democrats Don’t Want Joe Biden to Be 2024 Nominee
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A large majority of Democrats don’t want Joe Biden to be the 2024 nominee for president mostly due to his age and poor job performance, especially on the economy.
Among Democratic voters, 64 percent said they would prefer another candidate while only 26 percent said the party should renominate him in 2024, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released Monday.
At 79, Biden’s elderliness weighed heavily on respondents, with 33 percent of Democrats citing his advanced age as the reason for favoring an alternative candidate. The president is the oldest in American history. Younger voters are particularly eager for a fresh face more responsive to their interests, with 94 percent of Democrats under the age of 30 favoring someone new, according to the survey.
In late June, a video of Biden falling off his bicycle went viral on social media, leading to more frank discussions on both sides of the aisle about the president’s physical and mental health as he approached his 80th birthday.
A minority of Democrats cited concerns aside from Biden’s age in justifying their opposition to his 2024 candidacy: 10 percent said he was not progressive enough, 4 percent cited his ability to win a general election, and 3 percent specified his mental acuity as a barrier.
Jobs and the economy were the most motivating issues to 20 percent of voters, followed by inflation and the cost of living, which were the most important to 15 percent.
Inflation climbed to an alarming 8.6 percent for the twelve months that ended in May, according to CPI data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, positive signs are emerging for gas prices, with the average cost at the pump dropping by 3.1 cents on Friday to $4.721 a gallon after approaching $5 in some parts of the country, according to auto organization AAA.
More than 75 percent of voters in the poll said the economy was “extremely important” in their assessment of the country’s direction. Only 1 percent of respondents graded the economy as excellent. Meanwhile, 93 percent of working voters, those aged 18-to-64, graded it as poor or only fair.
Many Americans are feeling financially constrained, unable to afford the same commodities and leisure items in this economy in comparison to years ago, the New York Times indicated. Others are growing disillusioned with a president who has exhibited symptoms of cognitive decline and slipped into embarrassing gaffes repeatedly in public appearances and speeches.
Despite the angry progressive reaction to the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion only looms largest for 5 percent of voters, specifically one percent of men and 9 percent of women, the poll shows, mollifying some Republican fears that the decision could ruin the GOP’s expected midterm spoils. The survey of 849 registered voters nationwide was conducted from July 5 to 7, accounting for the ruling. Meanwhile, the continuing presence of Covid-19 no longer preoccupies voters, with more pressing issues taking priority.
