Former President Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, has suggested that President Biden should drop out of the 2024 presidential race following a new poll revealing that the incumbent is trailing former President Trump.
Referring to a New York Times and Siena College poll published on Sunday, Axelrod expressed his opinion on X (formerly known as Twitter): “It’s quite late to change horses; a lot of unpredictable events will occur in the next year, and Biden’s team insists that he remains determined to run.”
Axelrod contends that Biden should take pride in his accomplishments, but acknowledges that his poll numbers will raise concerns within the Democratic Party.
“This is not mere ‘bed-wetting’, but a legitimate worry,” Axelrod stated.
In a separate post, Axelrod described Trump as a dangerous demagogue with disdain for rules, norms, and democracy, suggesting that these factors should disqualify him from holding office. However, Axelrod cautions that the potential consequences of underestimating Trump are too significant to ignore.
“Only @JoeBiden can make this decision,” Axelrod continued. “If he chooses to run, he will become the Democratic Party’s nominee. What he needs to consider is whether this is wise for him personally and for the country.”
The poll reveals that Biden is trailing Trump in five of the six battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, by margins ranging from 3 to 10 percentage points among registered voters. In Wisconsin, Biden is leading by 2 percentage points.
These poll results represent a significant setback for Biden’s campaign. In the 2020 election, Biden won all six of these states in his contest against Trump, as reported by The New York Times.
Concerns have grown within Biden’s own party regarding his age and policy decisions on various matters, particularly the economy.
A total of 71 percent of registered voters in the poll agreed to some extent that Biden is “simply too old to be an effective president,” whereas only 39 percent felt the same way about Trump.
When asked about Biden’s mental sharpness, 62 percent of participants indicated dissatisfaction, while only 35 percent agreed with the statement. In contrast, 52 percent believe Trump possesses the mental sharpness required to be an effective president, whereas 44 percent disagree.
Age has been a consistent point of criticism for Biden since his 2020 campaign, and this criticism has persisted throughout his time in the White House. As an 80-year-old, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history.
If reelected in 2024, he would reach the age of 86 by the end of his second term.
Axelrod emphasizes that Biden’s age is his most significant liability and an unchangeable factor.
“Among all the uncertainties, one thing is certain: the arrow of age only points in one direction,” Axelrod wrote on X.
Axelrod’s remarks follow a series of calls from some Democrats who believe Biden’s age renders him “too old” for reelection. President Biden has acknowledged that it is fair for voters to consider his age but suggests they assess his ability to perform his duties.
The New York Times/Siena College poll surveyed 3,662 registered voters in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin between October 22 and November 3, 2023. The sampling error margin for each state ranges from 4.4 to 4.8 percentage points.
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