How this could be advantageous for the Democratic Party
By: Matthew Ding
On July 21st, 2024, Joe Biden made the decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Biden dropping out could potentially be a major advantage for the democratic party, laying the foundations for a new candidate who resonates more with younger voters and has a new campaign strategy.
Throughout his time in office, many Republicans have criticized Biden for handling situations poorly. Many were discontent about Biden’s immigration policies, extreme inflation, and his inadequate response to tackling climate change. Americans grew even more skeptical of Biden’s performance as the election agenda progressed. Biden’s poor performance as president, combined with concerns about his age have all prompted Americans to reconsider their choices for this year’s presidential election.
Before his decision to drop out of the election, it had already become evident that Biden was losing popularity in the presidential race. Democrats needed to force him to drop out if they wanted a chance to win the election. Some of his closest supporters such as Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi even encouraged Biden to step down. Biden described Nancy as “ruthless for ushering him out the door.” This shows Biden’s reluctance and unwillingness to drop out, despite being advised by others to do so. It was clear that Biden’s mental and physical health has been declining steadily. Although Biden could have chosen to drop out long ago, he chose to stay in the election. A poll conducted by CNN showed that Biden’s favorability rating stood at just 34%, with 58% of Americans viewing him unfavorably. This is a significant difference from his standings in the 2020 election, whereas more than 59% of Americans approved of him at that time. In comparison, Harry Truman holds the record for the lowest approval rating at only 22%. Biden had the lowest second-term approval rating of any other president since World War II. Because of concerns about his age and health, his poor performance during the debate, and his presidency, his support from the American people had been falling off for months leading up to his decision to drop out.
While Biden was initially reluctant to give up in the re-election race, the harsh criticism from other democrats and getting diagnosed with COVID-19 made him change his mind about running for re-election. In a statement addressing America about dropping out, Biden informed the public about his decision, writing, “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” Biden acknowledges the concerns of the public for him to step down as presidential candidate and prioritize the future of the democratic party by stepping down. Biden finally prioritized the future of the democratic party, realizing that stepping down would be the best decision.
Shortly after his statement addressing the nation, Biden decided to endorse Kamala Harris to run on behalf of the Democratic Party. In contrast to Biden’s performance, Harris raised $81 million in donations to support her campaign in less than 24 hours. Her stances on healthcare, abortion rights, and immigration are much more successful than Biden’s. As of October 24th, 2024, Harris had an approval rating of 54%, much higher than that of Biden’s current rating. Harris’ immediate appeal and her new strategy invigorated voters that Biden previously lost. With these advantages, Kamala Harris is able to strengthen her campaign and offer Democrats a chance to win the election. As of now, the polls are tied as the nation anxiously awaits a result.
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