Joe Biden secured his party’s presidential nomination this spring, aiming for a second term as president of the United States. Despite numerous roadblocks facing his predecessor Donald Trump, including various legal issues, Biden’s reelection is far from straightforward. Support is waning over his perceived failures with the economy and inability to complete many of his campaign promises, including significantly improving climate-related legislation. Patience is thinning amongst young voters and Arab Americans over Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and his approval rating has decreased by 4 points, as his age and mental competency continue to be heavily scrutinized by members of the public.
President Biden has faced criticism for his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and deservedly so. It’s proving to be a major issue to voting blocs who were integral to his success in the 2020 election, and could cost him his reelection. The strength of the public opinion was shown in Michigan, where voters made national headlines during their primary. Arab Americans and allies in the state turned out in full force, gaining over 100,000 votes for “uncommitted” as a form of protest, and shockingly finished second, above both of Biden’s challengers. Despite his comfortable victory, it sent a clear message to his administration that they aren’t pleased with his handling of the war thus far, potentially losing him votes in a pivotal swing state.
Throughout the race thus far, Biden’s campaign team has done a poor job of highlighting the successes that his administration has had in implementing many of his campaign promises, despite major backlash from the Republican-controlled House. The high-media attention on Donald Trump’s legal cases has done little to promote his achievements while in office, and the focus of vast amounts of voters on defeating Trump, has changed the narrative surprisingly into Trump’s favor; the lack of focus on the bills that have been passed have led to increased scrutiny on the ones he hasn’t, and his widely perceived inaction in Gaza. For instance, according to a CBS News poll, only 38% of American voters believe that the economy was better under Biden than the first Trump term, despite bills such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which decreased prescription drug costs and increased clean energy initiatives, and an above average increase in jobs in half of the fourteen months since January 2023.
The lack of focus on Biden’s success has also shifted the attention towards another one of Biden’s glaring issues regarding his age.At present, he is 81, already surpassing his predecessor’s record of oldest-ever president, and assuming he wins, he would be 86 by the end of his second term, raising more concerns about his ability to serve a second term. The next generation of voters clearly feel like the candidates need a freshening up; a recent New York Times poll has found that nearly three-quarters of Americans feel as though he is too old to be president, and although that is a factor out of the control of the President, his recent stumbles have only increased the noise around his age.
Because of these challenges, Biden finds himself behind Trump in most major polls thus far. The race is still in its early months, however, Biden has lots of work to do to get crucial voters onboard his reelection bid.
This article also appears in our April 2024 edition.
