If I were a betting man, I’d put money on Joe Biden not running for reelection. Between his advanced age, diminished mental acuity, and tanking approval ratings, there’s very little reason to believe he’d be up for another campaign, let alone another term. Last month, my PJ Media colleague Rick Moran noted that Biden is governing like he knows he won’t seek reelection, and I agree. However, even members of his party doubt he will and suggest that the only reason the White House is claiming Biden plans to run is to “avoid weakening his standing.”
Jen Psaki was even asked about 2024 during Monday’s press briefing.
“And there was another round of stories over the weekend about the political fate of the President and the Vice President and who might run in 2024,” a reporter asked. “And it quotes a lot of other Democrats or people who work for them. What is the White House’s message to those Democrats?”
“We’re focused right now on what the American people elected the president to do just over a year ago, which is to get COVID under control, to put people back to work, and to help give people some breathing room. And we hope other people keep their focus on that as well,” Psaki replied, avoiding the question.
“Should they knock it off? Is that speculation helpful to you?” the reporter asked.
“The president has every intention of running for reelection.”
But no one is buying it. In fact, the media is already speculating who will replace him in 2024
“With Mr. Biden facing plunging poll numbers and turning 82 the month he’d be on the ballot, and Vice President Kamala Harris plagued by flagging poll numbers of her own, conversations about possible alternatives are beginning far earlier than is customary for a president still in the first year of his first term,” reports the New York Times. The Times notes that “none of the prospects would dare openly indicate interest” in order to not offend Biden, who still publicly says he intends to run, or Kamala Harris, his heir apparent, who is a minority.
“Still, a nexus of anxious currents in the Democratic Party has stoked speculation about a possible contested primary in two years,” theTimes continues. “On top of concerns about Mr. Biden’s age and present unpopularity, there is an overarching fear among Democrats of the possibility of a Trump comeback — and a determination that the party must run a strong candidate to head it off.”
Several potential Biden alternatives are openly considered, including Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar. Aside from these 2020 retreads, Senator Richard Blumenthal, former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and even embattled Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer are mentioned as possibilities. Finishing off this unimpressive list is the most unimpressive potential candidate of them all, Stacey Abrams.
It seems that speculating about who will replace Biden in 2024 is now all the rage because CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza joined in on the fun and assessed the viability of the most commonly mentioned candidates.
Joe Biden may only be saying he’s running to “avoid weakening his standing.” Still, when the media is already talking about who might replace him as his party’s nominee in the next election, it’s safe to say he has very little standing left.
Also read: White House Sends Fact-Checkers After Townhall Media for Quoting Joe Biden