Commentary

How do Democrats view Biden, his age and reelection prospects?

May 11, 2023

Dr. Frank Luntz (Commentary Contributor)

Despite a list of legislative achievements, even Democratic voters think President Biden's age makes him a liability in 2024. — Image credit: Straight Arrow News

All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

President Biden’s age may be the greatest obstacle he faces on his road to reelection in 2024. Members of Biden’s own party worry the 80-year-old may not be up to the task of a second term in the White House. What do Democratic voters think about an octogenarian president running again?

That is one of the questions asked during the latest episode of Straight Arrow News’ new video series “America Speaks,” hosted by political analyst and pollster Dr. Frank Luntz. In this 24-minute episode, Democrats from across the U.S. share their concerns about Biden’s age and stamina and discuss the pros and cons of his presidency up to this point.

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All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

It’s official, President Joe Biden is seeking reelection. So if you’re with me, Joe Biden not consonant.
Let’s finish this job. I know you.
Is this as the United States is nothing significant. Nothing we cannot do. A full 18 months in advance of election day, President Biden used a three minute video filled with evocative visuals and pointed language to ask the American people for another four year term. So America speak sat down with 15 Democrats nationwide, to ask them whether they think Joe Biden has earned another four years and whether they think America agrees. We show them the president at his best, and at his worst. And then we ask them, What advice would you give the president? If he was listening right now? Their answers will stun you. I’m Dr. Frank Luntz, and welcome to another installment of America speaks courtesy of straight arrow news. But before we get to President Biden, let’s listen in on how Democrats evaluate the state of America and the state of the Democratic Party.
In a sentence or two, in a word or phrase, describe to me how you feel about the United States of America right now. Stephanie, you start. I’m disappointed and frustrated with the direction this country has taken?
Because
because I don’t think either party is adequately dealing with the issues that we face. Margaret,
I am terrified for this country and where we are right now. Because there are so many things happening that neither party seems to care about. Totally
think there’s currently the seeds of fascism, and that we don’t have a political party that knows how to deal with those problems. Chuck, I think it’s horribly divided. And I believe that we as a people have lost the ability to have civil discourse.
Richard,
I think this country is in big trouble,
inflation cost of living homelessness. And I don’t think we’re united the way we should be. Jeffrey,
I’m really frustrated with the voting populace. I think that in an age when information is so easily gathered from multiple sources, our population seems to be living in their own echo chambers and not learning, getting enough information to make good decisions and electing the right politicians. They’re just going after that, that that closed loop.
Shana.
I think that religion needs to say in the religious houses and not in government.
Tony, we’re divided and polarized and largely misled into thinking that our we should be driven by our fears, and not by our promise.
archaeon
frustrated that it seems like a lot of our government institutions are broken and not functioning properly. Jake.
I think that we where we’ve come from what’s difficult, but I think that we’ve climbed out of a pretty big hole, and we continue to climb out of it. And I’m a little bit more optimistic than most of the people on this. On this call, I think I’ll access.
I think that
I’m embarrassed. We used to be center stage for just about everything in the world. I remember going to voting
places and enjoying it. I now do it because I have to make sure that you know, I picked up vegetables evils.
So let’s turn to politics. Give me a phrase or word or phrase to describe the Democratic Party right now. And Jake, I’ll start with you.
I think they’re stuck.
Stuck. And why do you say that? Well, I think that there’s a despite the fact that the current leadership has done a pretty good job pulling us out of the hole I was talking about earlier. There isn’t a lot of room, both because of lack of people. And also lack of people willing to move aside of new generations with new ideas and young people who understand the way the world works. And we have, unfortunately, too many people
running the show who are frankly out of touch. I would call it the old man’s club. The Republican group is the
All white man’s club, but there are a lot there’s a lot more diversity in, in the Democratic Party. Tony, you’re smiling. Go ahead. I think the patriarchy is prominent in both parties right now. And that’s why we’re not getting anywhere. I think that the Democratic Party is weak. And sometimes being nice doesn’t help anymore. But you give it a first shot don’t work, then you play hard, and you play dirty.
Tracy,
and seems like it’s easily distracted and just kind of bouncing all over the place. Dinah?
fallen short.
We hear a lot of promises and that kind of thing. But it really there’s no follow up ever really. Crystal
or disconnected from the Federal the Federal Democratic Party is really disconnected from the state parties and leaving people behind. Richard, I think the Democratic Party is trying to do the best they can with what they have. And we’re too disconnected. The two party disconnected.
Margaret,
the Democratic Party is disconnected and disorganized.
Stephanie? Well meaning but they’re not willing to fight for the values that they claim to believe in. And Chuck, they think that they are well intentioned to agree with those who believe that I believe that they’re absolutely horrible at messaging. I think the Biden administration has
put on the board a number of wins things that we should be talking more about. But the Democrats struggle as they always seem to, with getting that message out and connecting with the people who are being affected by the programs that we’ve put in place. Okay, I clearly see crystal agreeing with that. Tell me why.
Oh, as one of the people from a rural state, our messaging to rural voters is absolutely terrible. And we are doing the thing, the Democratic Party is doing the things that should be helping them. And yet they continually reject what we’re saying. Can I get a few others?
One of the comments you have about Democratic Party messaging. I think when Hillary was running for president, and she called Trump supporters deplorables, I think that really, really messed up the possibility of actually having her win in 2020, or 2016. I have issues with how the media portrays us, you know, we are not in Washington, we’re not personally attending these hearings, or these press conferences. So how the media takes and frames, these these positions,
matters. And Republicans get out there with really angry sound bites. And then you turn around and get someone like Elizabeth Warren, who I’m a big fan of who has a professorial approach to things and explain the finds a problem and explains it. And ABC News gives her a 10 second soundbite and you but these are complex issues that have complex causes, and often conflict need complex solutions. And we should, and it would be better if people can get better informed. But we’re living in a tick tock world where sound bites is what’s getting across. And I don’t know how that gets off. Totally. I think conservatives and Republicans play into a really simple message of fear, fear mostly of the other. And it’s really hard to combat that. And it’s really hard to engage with it. And I think engaging with it at all, gives it legitimacy. And I think that’s a problem that Democrats have had that they’ve even addressing these crazy conspiracy theories and, you know, legislation that they’re putting forward that they’re proposing. Even engaging with it on a rational level, I think is actually doing harm. I think you can’t you can’t reason your way out of some of the positions. Some of these people have to tell his point about it. I do feel like that the publicans do have a lot more fear mongering and like that negative propaganda and like totally said, like, You can’t reason with emotion when people are in their emotions. And I feel like that’s something that the Democrats are trying to do keep cool, calm and collected. But if people are rattling from fear, they can’t hear it. Yeah. And when there’s no news, that’s bad news. So they’re constantly playing on this like negative vibe and fear mongering. Think also the Democrats politically of fighting the last war and not the next war. They didn’t see what was happening in the Republican Party and how it had gone from a conservative, true conservative based party, whether you agree with their policies or not, to a far right wing, should idolizing Trump and that’s what they’ve become the Democrats. I don’t think saw that quickly enough. Thanks to Trump and the far right
If the Democrats were able to prevail in the midterms at least didn’t get crushed the way that they were predicted to, but that’s not really not because the Democrats reacted properly. It’s because Republicans just couldn’t contain themselves and went so far right. And so Q and on path that people most people just were not going to go for that a divided country and poor messaging is not the only concern on the minds of Democrats today. When asked to evaluate President Biden, the responses about his administration and his record, were quite positive. But there’s another factor that has Democrats anxious and alarmed. You’re all Democrats. Give me a word or phrase to describe President Joe Biden fit we’ll start with you. Steadyhand Carly, too old and outdated. Shana,
too old and outdated.
throny
more productive than anyone will give him credit for Crystal
is why’s that he’s all.
Dinah out of touch. Bracey
feisty and smart. Alexis. He’s old, but he’s very effective, especially with
international politics.
In foreign policy.
Stephanie, compassionate and very effective, but cooled.
Margaret, knowledgeable, but old and out of touch. Totally a compromise.
And Chuck,
experienced and compassionate.
Okay, I have to bring it up, because you guys brought it up. Explain to me this age thing. And how you feel about anybody. I will go. Um, so I,
I am looking around here. And I can see that I’m one of the youngest ones here. Um, my government should reflect my age, the government should reflect the age of everyone in the country. And I am sick of seeing old white men leaving the country when you have these younger demographics who are not being represented.
For me, the age is not such a concern, if their state of mind is good, and their policies on check and the foreign policy if he’s a good president, you know, like, you know,
so the, the age, but except for mine, and now, he seems to be a little fragile and a little bit losing it once in a while in terms of its fonts. So he might be strong and all the policies that I agree with him, but the age is it all the age is affecting him as just Does everybody
agree, sometimes I’m a little worried about his mental faculties and how he represents my country. And you want to have a strong leader. And even if his mind is completely there, sometimes he stumbles during his speeches. And then that is worrisome. But he also stumbles because he has a speech impediment. So not a lot of people know that. The age is a factor. But the experience and the knowledge that he has, especially in the geopolitical realm, is invaluable at this time, as much as it has been throughout my entire life. And so I don’t think we can afford to take a chance on someone because they’re younger, who may not have the experience. While I understand it’s as as important who that President surrounds himself with, I would just today, in these times would want the person at the helm to have the level of experience that Biden has
experienced, I think his experience instills a lot of competence, and gives people a lot of, or gives people peace of mind.
I think that, you know, at this point, people definitely appreciate that a lot more as opposed to having somebody who’s both erratic and inexperienced, like the previous administration and previous president, specifically, but there’s no denying that his mental acuity is, is noticeably diminished. Like if you see him publicly speaking from even when he was vice president, like there’s a stark it’s a stark contrast, which is to be expected for people that are his age, you know, and his abs now, but
I feel like that that part definitely.
You know, give some people concern, I think was absolutely the right man for this moment. And and I don’t know who else could have taken us out of the dumpster fire that was the previous administration as deftly as he did, but I agree. I worry, you know,
two fronts. One is that his age makes him a liability because as you get older, you’re more prone to all sorts of health conditions, even if he’s healthy now, and you don’t want a president to die in the middle of their term. And and the other thing is the perception issue with young people. You listen to young people, they don’t want Biden, they want a younger candidate, they want someone who speaks to them who represents them. And I think you know, they need to the old guard needs to kind of give way to a younger generation, like a Cory Booker, or a Pete Buttigieg.
Next, the next, messaging for 2024 has got to include a sort of bridge to the next generation message that says, hey, I’m here, I, you gotta give me another four years because I’m doing a good job. But I’ve got my eye on the future, and I’m wanting to hand the torch to the next generation, that’s going to be a really important thing for me personally to hear.
I’ve learned for more than 35 years of election campaigns that no two elections are the same, that every election and every constituency is different. While policy obviously matters for many Democrats, beating Donald Trump is a higher priority. In fact, when you listen, and you hear them, nothing concerns Democrats more than keeping Donald Trump out of office, which is a higher priority to you, making sure that the Republicans do not win the White House, or making sure that the President agrees with you on most of the issues, if you had to choose, which is more important. Who says the electability of the candidates more important? Raise your hands?
12 of you, it took a while? Why is electability even more important than them agreeing with you? It’s very interesting. The core values of democracy Democrats, is what I think is the most human part compared to Republicans, which is institutions and businesses. So dem democracy Democrat. When I was a little kid, I asked him, like, what’s the difference? And they’re like, people or businesses, that’s what they told me. And so I’m for the people,
Chuck. So like, I think that it would be so dangerous to our democracy to hand, the White House back to the Republicans, that what they are doing, what they have become, has made them an enemy of the country. That’s there’s no way not to say that there are good people over there. But the good people who are being silent, they’re not speaking up, and they’ve let their party be hijacked. And we cannot allow that. them to be fully in power again.
Yeah, I believe it would be the end of our country. It just, it just literally would have all the things that I grew up cherishing.
They’d all be gone. The end of the country, that’s a really strong statement. I’m talking about people banning books, I’m talking about women losing reproductive rights, I’m talking about black people and brown people and gay people and trans people all being just completely an underclass, that’s what I’m talking about. And that’s what I see.
Folks, so let’s look at the results. We’re not finished yet by any stretch of the imagination, but unemployment rate is a 3.4%, a 50. year low.
near record.
Record unemployment.
near record unemployment for black and Hispanic workers. We’ve already created your help 800,000 Good paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.
Written
Where is it written in America can lead the world of manufacturing, I don’t know where that’s written. For too many decades. We imported projects and exported jobs. Now, thanks for what you’ve all done. We’re exporting American products and creating American jobs.
Trade Tracy, um, I remember that night very well. And I remember being really exhilarated by that speech. He just said all the right things he was, you know, I said before, he was feisty. He was smart. I just I remember being very happy about that speech. And yes, I am concerned that you know, his physical body seems you know, it seems very frail. But you know, he says the right things, I think when it matters, Carly.
I love you said when the people on the bottom are doing better that lifts everyone up because the people at top are always going to be doing well. And that really shows to me that he cares about what happens to the younger, the lower people to bring them up. And
I remember
Are the night I think I’ve seen every State of the Union since the early 80s junkie for this stuff. And I was so proud of him. And, you know, we all have good days. We have bad days, but he knocked it out of the park and he had some messaging. We just I just wish he had people around him to coach him and guide him and make sure that that’s what he delivers when he’s out there on the stump. But he he use facts use figures that were irrefutable. And I was inspired that night
and announced his 100 Day and Senator his $100 incentive today.
places as I’ve offered the 100 1000s or hundreds $100. I’d be really good. I’d go back and get vaccinated three times.
Can you decide offered $100 to get vaccination? I’ve seen an uptick of 25% daily vaccination rates. She’s also dedicated getting her customers and employers vaccinate employees vaccinated, that when they leave the saloon, receptionist, the salon of the salon,
maybe going to someone I don’t know, I caught part of presidents Trump Putin
press conference. And he talked about the need for us to be able to have some kind of modus operandi, we dealt with making sure the Arctic was in fact, a free zone. The second video, it’s just, I find it funny to laugh at all people. But then you have to remember, Oh, this is the President of the United States.
And he says stuff that my grandfather says and they’re the same age and then I have to consider do I want someone like my grandfather running the country? And no, I do not
encounter to that. You know, I remember back when W was President Bush, and he was much younger, and every time he opened his mouth was a gaffe more gigantic than anything that Biden has ever said. So even though the right wing media will take these Biden clips and run them in an endless loop, the reality is very much younger President did the same thing. And it’s not necessarily age.
Let’s say that President Joe Biden is watching you watching this focus group right now.
What advice would you give him? Totally I’m gonna start with you.
Retire
one word, just retire. Yeah, have a good life. Margaret.
Be conscious of what you say and how it affects people.
Chuck
stay strong. Continue politically down the road that you’re going in. If you feel that you’re able and ready to for another term, then you should go forward with that. Stephanie, thank you for everything that you’ve done to bring our country back. But I think it is time for you to step down and let someone younger takeover.
Alexis keep on trucking.
Carly
tire
Shana.
Mentor.
Tracy,
keep calling them out.
Dinah
stepped down.
Crystal.
Thank you so much for your service. And please start mentoring the next generation of leaders.
Room and mentor the next generation now.
Encourage and support younger candidates and the next generation.
Richard, use your power now to vote in someone like you.
Jake, keep the torch burning, but let us know how you’re gonna pass it.
And Jeffrey,
keep being State of the Union Joe be confident and deliver.
And there you have it. Democrats thankful for a president who they say picked America up and turned America around, but deeply concerned that a request for four more years may not be granted by a skeptical electorate. We will be back next week for another installment of America speaks. So on behalf of straight arrow News, I’m Dr. Franklin’s Thank you and have a great day.

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