Despite the glowing press coverage in recent days and the media desperate attempt to portray him on some sort of winning streak, it’s gotten so bad for Biden that Axios has launched a tracker to point out how many Democrats are side-stepping questions on whether he should seek re-election in 2024.
“Backing your own party's first-term president is usually so automatic that no one would bother to ask. But behind the scenes, there's a very real concern that going all in on Biden could be a mistake. Some Democrats privately don't want Biden to run again, for three reasons:
-He's deeply unpopular. Many Americans associate him with inflation, high gas prices, entrenched COVID-19 and an inglorious end to the war in Afghanistan.
-Progressives want a move away from centrism and convention.
-Many Democratic voters want generational change. Biden was older when he took office than Ronald Reagan was when he left office. If re-elected, Biden would be 86 at the end of his second term.
A handful of vocal House Democrats have been clear they don't think President Biden should — or will — run again.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) told a local radio show last week: "I think the country would be well served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats who step up," after replying "no" to the question of whether he would support Biden in 2024.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) told MinnPost: "I think Dean Phillips and I are in lockstep and alignment with that, and I’m going to do everything in my power as a member of Congress to make sure that we have a new generation of leadership."