With the midterms passing, the idea of Joe Biden running in 2024 is getting more serious. All of his most recent remarks indicate that he will be running. The DNC seems set on this, although democratic voters seem to disagree. Should the DNC let the voters decide the Democratic candidate, or should the lobbyists decide?
An outstanding 70 percent of voters don't want Joe Biden to run in 2024, according to a CNBC survey. Among Democratic voters, “64 percent” say “they would prefer a new standard-bearer in the 2024 presidential campaign, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll” (Goldmacher, 2022). So why is the DNC so deadset on 80-year-old Joe Biden? Although Biden’s overall approval rating has gone up in recent months due to student loan debt cancellation, lower gas prices, and low unemployment, people still want Biden to remain a one-term president.
Despite some of Joe Biden’s progressive policies, like student loan reduction and raising the minimum corporate tax rate to 15% (the minimum corporate tax rate under Obama was 25 percent), he has more or less maintained the status quo, keeping the corporate world happy. We must stop settling with corporate Democrats because we are told they are the only viable option to win, because they aren't. Millennials and Gen Z want real change and do not want to keep on with this trend of blue-dog Democrats. According to the most recent YouGov polls, 57 percent of Americans support a universal healthcare system, with only 26 percent opposing it. A 2022 survey conducted by Education Next finds that “66% of over 3,600 respondents support free two-year public college” (Carrasco, 2022). These polling numbers are not cherry-picked either, with similar numbers reported across serval polling organizations over many years. The point is economic progressive policies are popular, no matter what mainstream media and establishment politicians would have you believe.
If the Democratic party chooses to push President Biden, they are opening the door for a Republican president in 2024. We should not let this happen. With inflation skyrocketing, the American healthcare system lagging behind the rest of the world, and geo-economic tensions rising, people are looking for a real solution. Joe Biden is not that solution for most Americans. It is time for real change. Electability is a word thrown around in Democratic and Republican circles alike. Republicans understand that former President Trump’s lack of electability is a significant problem, and Ron De Santis seems to be stealing his spotlight. Biden was a good candidate for defeating Trump, but his time has also passed. Democrats must select a candidate that can get people riled up. This is not Joe Biden.