In a highly politically polarised system, finally the Republicans and Democrats are agreed on one thing: President Joe Biden is too old to run for re-election in 2024. It might sound ironical or even funny for America in 2020 knew that Biden will be 81 if he is sworn in for a second time in 2025 and 85 by the time he steps down finally from office. But somehow the now 80-year-old Commander-in-Chief is seen as “old”. That his chief tormentor Donald Trump is just three years his junior does not seem to matter.

Nationally, 77 per cent of Americans believe that Biden is too old for a second term; the real kicker being that 69 per cent of Democratic voters believing that the incumbent should hang up his boots at the end of his first term. But only 51 per cent in the nation-wide survey believe that the 77-year-old Trump is too old for office; and just 28 per cent of Republicans hold on to that perception. But of some comfort would be that two-thirds of Americans are in favour of age restrictions for the President, Supreme Court Justices and Members of Congress, not that these are going to come through in the foreseeable future.

The national survey data on Biden’s age is supposed to have triggered concern among Democratic party bosses, with some reports even suggesting that efforts are under way by some known names to “get ready” in case the clamour gets louder or Biden himself bows out when the formal elections season gets going early next year by way of primaries and caucuses. In fact those suggesting that Biden should step aside point to his stumbling and fumbling in the recent past, all actions associated with something called age.

Memory issues

Tripping on the stairs of Air Force One apart, Biden has had problems with memory, it has been pointed out. Add to this it is said that the 46th President has taken more vacation days in the three years he has been in office than what Ronald Reagan did in his eight years at the Oval Office. And Reagan’s age was a source of attention at the time of his running for re-election in 1984.

The rumblings within the Democratic party of Biden’s age seems to be coming at a wrong time: his approval ratings are on a slow uptick and economic indicators like unemployment, inflation and wages are definitely favourable. On the other hand, Trump continues to hold the reins in the Grand Old Party despite the raft of federal and state felony charges and the prospect of some of these heading to trial in early 2024.

Biden strategists may be banking on a 2020 rematch which in their opinion could be in favour of the White House incumbent; but Democrats are also not lost on the fact that the last showdown was indeed a close one with Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin coming through for Biden. If these three states had swung the other way, things would have been quite different.

Even if Biden decides to step down, it does not mean smooth sailing for the Democratic Party for the gloves will come off with few under the obligation of having to throw their weight behind Vice-President Kamala Harris. Opinion polls suggest that Harris is as good as Biden, if not worse; supporters of the Vice-President hold that she has been unfairly judged and perhaps even given difficult portfolios like immigration and border control that are not easy to handle in a span of three years.

It is not as though Democrats are short on leaders or candidates but with the exception of Harris all others will be handicapped with organisational roots and funding to carry out a gruelling and expensive race that requires not only physical stamina but also extensive money power.

The names of Democrats that have already started doing the rounds include Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Gretchen Whitmer, Gary Newsom, Elizabeth Warren and Stacey Abrams, all known names in the national scene who are either governors, elected members of Congress, serving the administration or even having briefly challenged President Biden for the 2020 nomination.

The writer is a senior journalist who has reported from Washington DC on North America and United Nations

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