Senate Dems privately fear Biden’s age could cost him White House

Democratic senators have acknowledged private concerns that their party could lose the White House due to President Biden’s age and health, but they prefer not to discuss those concerns publicly and say that President Biden’s age and health could cost him the White House in 2024. He claims he has no other choice but to take the top spot in the Democratic Party.

Democratic senators who recently spent time with Biden maintained that he remained mentally alert and did not notice any cognitive decline, saying the president did not remember how many years he served as vice president. This contradicts the claims of Special Counsel Robert Hur.

Mr. Biden’s age is such a taboo topic among Democratic senators that it was not brought up in the caucus led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, but it is one of the top concerns for Democratic senators. Some privately admit that it is, because polls show that so many voters doubt Mr. Biden’s ability to do the job.

“It’s never been talked about at our lunches, which is kind of surprising,” he said of how his colleagues are handling the 81-year-old president’s biggest political responsibility. said a Democratic senator who requested anonymity.

“Nobody’s saying, ‘We should talk about this.’ Or, ‘Isn’t this a problem?’ Should I let him come and talk about it?” ‘I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘Mr. Schumer should go there and talk about it,”’ the senator said.

Democratic senators publicly ignore the issue, but privately acknowledge that it is a serious problem. But they still think Trump can beat former President Trump in 2024, which is why they are staying silent.

“But I don’t think that means people aren’t worried about it. Look, I’m worried about it,” said a fellow Democrat in the Senate. “I’m not really worried about his ability. I’m guessing he’ll get the job done, but I’m not worried about many people in the country who think Biden is up to the task.” Concerned”

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) said “Biden can win,” but urged voters not to ignore concerns about Biden’s age. He is less convinced than some of his Democratic colleagues that voters will reject Trump simply as unfit to be president.

“Biden, he has to deal with the age issue. He has to not just beat Trump, he has to show energy and show what the future holds,” he said.

“Trump is Trump, and people will have their own reactions. They don’t need the Biden campaign to tell them how bad Trump is. Mr. Trump will figure it out himself,” he predicted.

“I think it really shows the energy and forward-thinking of the Biden campaign,” he said.

If anything, Mr. Hsu’s report heightened concerns about Mr. Biden’s age. Many Democrats believe the special counsel made an easy attack on Mr. Biden by describing him as an elderly man with memory problems, but it reinforces already existing public concerns. There are also concerns that

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Biden’s age was a “legitimate issue” but advised him to “look at the fact that he has experience.”

David Axelrod, former President Barack Obama’s chief strategist, floated the idea in the fall that Biden should consider not running for re-election, citing voter concerns about Biden’s age.

Axelrod recently told the New York Times that the special counsel’s report, which repeatedly referred to Biden’s memory, “gets to the heart of what’s bothering Biden politically right now. There is widespread fear that he is not prepared to do so.”

Democratic senators say the age issue is a big issue, especially among younger voters they see as critical to Biden’s re-election, and fears it could overshadow his accomplishments, which have received far less media attention. I quietly admit that there is.

But with the primaries already underway and Super Tuesday only weeks away, it’s too late to do anything to find a new candidate.

“The general feeling in the nation is that we hitch a wagon to Biden and he has accomplished a lot in partnership. It may not be Biden himself, but his team. Right? And we’re already in the primaries,” said a second Democratic senator, who requested anonymity in favor of speaking candidly.

The lawmaker said the political calculus would only change if Biden had obvious cognitive or health problems in public.

“If there’s something very clear, like with Mitch McConnell, things will change,” the senator said, noting that the Senate’s Republican leadership froze in front of TV cameras last year. .

Senators have said Vice President Harris could be a potential successor if Biden drops out of the race in the summer or fall, but her approval ratings are low and her role to date is Given its relative obscurity, he doesn’t think it’s a viable option. Over the past three years.

Harris’ approval rating had fallen to 38% in mid-December, according to an average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight.com.

Some Senate Democrats said Biden’s decision to suspend liquefied natural gas export applications and an executive order sanctioning four Israeli settlers in the West Bank for attacking Palestinians appealed to younger voters. It was seen as a wise move to improve Mr. Biden’s standing among Americans.

“Polls show that young voters are a little disappointed in Biden right now. And they see climate change as an existential issue and are appalled by the loss of innocent Palestinian lives.” said Welch.

“Anything Biden can do to renew his commitment to reducing carbon emissions and end the Gaza war and protect the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people will help,” he added.

In the 2020 election, Biden beat Trump by 24 points among voters aged 18 to 29, but recent polls show Trump holding a slight lead over Biden among key demographics. ing. Young voters cite Israel’s war and the president’s response to climate change as two issue areas.

Democratic lawmakers who spent time with Mr. Biden have recently argued that Mr. Biden bears no resemblance to the person described in the special counsel’s report.

“The reality is that I was out with the president at a restaurant meeting with a black pastor. [United Auto Workers union]. [His] Energy levels were high. He was in his element. I see a very different picture,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who spent time with Mr. Biden during a trip to Michigan to meet with autoworkers.