Joe Biden is the candidate to keep Donald Trump out of the White House – The Boston Globe
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the Democratic Party faces a consequential decision: Should President Biden run for reelection? With polls causing constant consternation about the president’s candidacy, as a Democratic strategist and commentator, I’ve gotten asked the same question by pro-democracy friends and family at every holiday party this year: “Shouldn’t Biden step aside and make room for someone else?” An in-depth examination of Biden’s tenure, policy achievements, and upcoming challenges underscores the necessity of his candidacy. It’s not overly dramatic to suggest Biden is the singular nominee who could once again keep likely Republican nominee Donald Trump out of the White House.
Memories can be short, but voters would be wise to consider how far Biden has brought the country in just three years. Inheriting a pandemic and decimated economy from his predecessor, Biden began his tenure with an incredibly efficient rollout of free COVID-19 vaccines, leading to over 200 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office. This public health triumph laid the foundation to rebuild the US economy. Despite public opinion polls, economists agree the American economy is strong according to several key metrics: inflation has plummeted, unemployment has reached record lows, racial employment gaps are closing, and Biden has created more jobs than the last three Republican administrations combined. Violent crime across the country is down.
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While some attempt to smear Biden as either too far left or too moderate, the administration has delivered the exact leadership the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign promised: unity and a bridge to the next generation of leadership. The country went from the leadership of Trump, who faces 91 felony counts and incited the Jan. 6 insurrection, to Biden, who has overseen the passage of more than 300 bipartisan bills during his tenure. Biden’s ability to work with a divided Congress, passing significant legislation such as the American Rescue Plan, infrastructure bills, and even the Safer Communities Act (the first major federal gun violence prevention bill passed in decades) underscores his capacity for effective governance. Potential Biden challenger Senator Joe Manchin, who has teased a third-party run, has made ambitious bipartisan promises but failed to deliver.
While some worry about Biden’s age, these concerns overlook the importance of experience in leadership, particularly in times of global instability. His deep understanding of governance and international relations is invaluable, and his age brings a breadth of knowledge and wisdom that has proven indispensable. Moreover, there is no indication his age has hindered his global or domestic leadership. In the past several months, the president has taken grueling trips to war zones. In February, Biden secretly took two flights followed by a 10-hour train ride in an overnight visit to Ukraine. After the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, Biden showed up in person for the longtime US ally. In foreign policy particularly, Biden has demonstrated the value of experience that comes with age. His efforts to restore strained global alliances from Trump’s tenure have reaffirmed America’s position as a responsible global leader.
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Moreover, the age narrative is less of an issue if the expected 2024 rematch between Biden and Trump comes to fruition. In that scenario, Biden will be squaring off with an opponent just 3 years younger. Biden is known for his active lifestyle, even criticized by conservative media for his Pilates classes and bike rides. Trump, 77, famously drinks 12 Diet Cokes a day and prefers fast food and overcooked steak with ketchup.
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While Biden’s not-so-secret weapon — support from young voters — has come into question, there is reason for optimism. The loudest voices on social media are not always representative of the electorate. While many young voters have expressed frustration over Biden’s inability to wave a magic wand and halt a decades-long conflict in the Middle East, at least some of the results from the November 2023 elections across the country suggest threats of abandoning the Democratic Party are somewhat empty. The election was a full month after Hamas’s attack on Israel and well into the peak of criticism over Biden’s handling of the US response; still Democrats achieved broad wins across the country. Despite the same doom and gloom polling circulating today, abortion remained a winning issue and young voters continued to show up in record numbers to support Democratic policies and candidates.
Biden has largely delivered on young voter priorities including forgiving over $130 billion of student loan debt, establishing an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. Perhaps of equal importance, the Biden administration has uplifted and empowered a younger, more diverse generation of leaders across government. As the dynamic shifts from a hypothetical 2024 free-for-all to the reality of a Biden-Trump rematch, we can expect young voters and the broader Biden 2020 coalition to remember just what is at stake for our democracy — as Trump promises to be a “dictator” if he returns to office.
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Tactically, Biden’s incumbency offers unique and irreplicable advantages. The presidential “bully pulpit” — the extraordinary ability to speak directly to the American people and influence the national conversation — is a powerful tool that a sitting president can wield more effectively than a mere contender for the office. Biden has effectively used this platform to communicate his vision and rally support for key initiatives. He has demanded action on prescription drug prices, called to expand access to affordable child care, and successfully targeted airline “junk fees.” In September, he joined the United Auto Workers picket line, continuing to deliver on his campaign promise to be the most pro-union president in history. We can expect the messaging to get even more clear and focused as the election draws nearer.
Being an incumbent means Biden has already won once. The fact that over 81 million Americans voted for him in 2020 is significant, and most presidents have received more votes in their reelection bids than in their original victory. With less than 11 months until the 2024 general election, it’s unrealistic to elevate an alternate nominee with the name recognition, platform, and proven record of wins as Biden.
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As presidential pollster Celinda Lake recently summarized, “Things are getting better and people think things are going to get worse — and that’s the most dangerous piece of this.” It’s on each of us in the pro-democracy coalition to correct the narrative. We have 11 months to either succumb to cable-news driven paranoia or spread the truth about Biden’s record and the stakes for our country this election.
Kaivan Shroff, who was a digital strategist for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, is press secretary for Dream for America.
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