[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Among the Democratic Party supporters, the opposition to President Joe Biden's bid for re-election, who is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, is significantly higher.
According to a poll conducted by The New York Times (NYT) and Siena College on the 11th (local time), 64% of Democratic supporters opposed President Biden's re-election bid in the 2024 presidential election. Only 26% supported Biden's re-election, while 10% were undecided.
Opposition to Biden's re-election bid was especially strong among younger voters. Among Democratic supporters under 30, 94% expressed a desire for another candidate to run.
The most common reason cited for opposing Biden's re-election was "age," with 33% of respondents selecting this. Biden, who was elected as the oldest president in U.S. history, will turn 80 this November. If re-elected, he will be 86 at the end of his term. Another 32% of respondents cited his job performance as the reason.
NYT evaluated, "Widespread concerns about the economy and inflation have lowered President Biden's support base," adding, "He is surprisingly unpopular even within the Democratic Party." President Biden has previously expressed his intention to run for re-election in 2024 multiple times.
In this survey, more than three-quarters of voters responded that "the United States is heading in the wrong direction." Only 13% said the country was moving in the right direction. Among Democratic supporters, only 27% believed the U.S. was on the right path.
The top priority issue that the U.S. needs to address currently was the economy, including jobs, at 20%. Inflation, at its highest level in about 40 years, ranked second at 15%. Gun issues and abortion rights, which have come under scrutiny following recent conservative reversals by the federal Supreme Court, recorded response rates of 10% and 5%, respectively.
For the Democratic Party, there is growing concern that Biden's approval ratings have fallen to historic lows, raising the risk of losing power. However, there is no clear presidential candidate within the party as an alternative to Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris has already expressed her intention to run as the vice-presidential candidate. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have also indicated their support for President Biden.
CNN analyzed, "Despite low approval ratings and his advanced age of 79, President Biden has already announced his intention to run for re-election," adding, "If the Democratic Party loses the 2024 election, he may be aware of the political backlash that will be directed at him. Potential candidates know that Democratic supporters will never forgive anyone who sabotages the party and causes it to lose power."
As voices grew louder that the elderly President Biden should not run in the next presidential election, former President Donald Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, which he created, "Age does not matter," and "Life begins at 80."
He said, "President Biden is 79 years old and one of the oldest presidents in history, but that alone does not make him old," adding, "There are many capable and sharp people in their 80s and even 90s." However, he also added, "Biden is not one of those people. That (being capable and sharp) has little to do with his age."
Currently 76 years old, former President Trump appears to be defending himself, who is of a similar age, while disparaging President Biden as not being capable or sharp.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
