Big Majority Of Dems Don’t Want Biden To Run Again: AP-NORC Poll

While President Biden is soon expected to announce his intention to seek reelection, a solid majority of Democrats wish he wouldn’t. That’s the finding of a new Associated Press-NORC poll conducted Jan. 26 to 30.  

The trend is as bad as the headline number, as Democrat enthusiasm for Biden 2024 has plummeted since October. Today, only 37% of Democrats want him to run again, down from 52% in the run-up to the midterms.  

The biggest blow to Biden’s aspirations comes from the younger crowd. Only 23% of Democrats between 18 and 44 support another run for the White House, down from 45% in the fall.

Meanwhile, a mere 22% of all Americans want him to run again, and just 41% approve of his handling of the job. 

Asked about the grim survey results on the eve of Biden’s State of the Union address, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre suggested reporters should look in the rear view mirror. “The way that we should look at this is what we saw from the midterms,” saying Democrats’ outperformance of expectations was ‘because the president went out there and spoke directly to the American people.

At 80, Biden has already set the record as the oldest U.S. president in office, and he’d be 86 if he survived to the end of a second term. Only 21% of Americans have “a lot of confidence” in Biden’s ability to handle a crisis. 

Joe Biden isn’t well. This is an embarrassment to our country and the world. He can barely read. Everyone can see the look in his eyes here, he’s lost. pic.twitter.com/ntlAlNYKmH

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 28, 2022

Ross Truckey, a 35-year-old lawyer in Michigan who didn’t vote for Biden or Trump in 2020, told AP he has doubts about Biden’s fitness for office. “His age and possibly his mental acuity is not where I would want the leader of the country to be. He, at times, appears to be an old man who is past his prime. Sometimes I feel a little bit of pity for the guy being pushed out in front of crowds.”

Of course, the White House is picky about which crowds he faces: it’s been 85 days since his last solo press conference on Nov. 14.