In 2020, I was an avid Biden supporter, as were most Democrats—not because I believed he would make a good president or lead the country in the right direction but because he was the lesser of two evils. Many others voted for him for the same reason, but this notion can only take the president so far. Currently, Biden is behind in several swing states, and his chances of securing this election are dwindling.
One of Biden’s most significant weaknesses is his age, as 71% of voters believe he is too old to be president, a 37-point increase from 2020. Two-thirds of voters also believe Biden is not mentally well enough for the job. These opinions are heavily influenced by multiple occasions in which Biden has fallen or seemed confused while addressing the public. Biden’s age sways young voters the most. In a recent poll taken by NBC, it was found that 46% of young voters support Trump while only 42% endorse the current president.
Although Biden has attempted to cater to this age group by forgiving student loan debt, assisting in the legalization of marijuana, and pushing for gun safety laws, young Democrats simply do not support him. Younger audiences have a difficult time believing that the President can understand the wants of the people if he is older than most of the population. If his support from this age group continues to dwindle, it will be detrimental to his results in 2024.
Another issue that has caused voters to dislike Biden is his reaction to the Israel-Hamas war. Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel in early October, the Biden administration has shown support for the Israeli military through financial aid and public backing of the IDF’s actions. However, these resources have affected not only Hamas but also civilians of Gaza, as now over one million Palestinians have been displaced. This has caused an uproar as an overwhelming number of young voters disagree with the Biden administration’s response. Fewer than one in four of the youth support the president’s handling of the situation. Support from Arab Americans has also lowered, with only 17% saying they will vote for Biden. Overall, 46% of Democrats disapprove of Biden’s reaction to the war, with many calling for Biden to support a ceasefire, and others stating that Biden is assisting in a genocide.
Although the loss of the Arab community (two-thirds of registered Arab voters supported Biden and other Democrats pre-war) is worrying, nothing is more threatening than the loss of the youth vote. Without young voters, Democrats would lose most elections and the youth are essential to Biden’s presidency. In 2020, 60% of people under the age of 30 voted for him, and if this support does not appear in an already-close race, it is hard to see an outcome with Biden on top.
Of course, nothing is set in stone, and Biden can quickly turn the polling results around in the next year. As many Democrats have also pointed out, former President Barack Obama was losing in the polls a year away from his election in 2012 but ended up winning 126 electoral points over Mitt Romney. However, it is hard to believe that Biden can steal back these voters in time for the upcoming election.
