Is Biden right to run for re-election?

Curtice (No)

President Biden’s age is of chief concern among most polled voters as of February 2024. At 80, he is already the oldest president in American history. If re-elected, he would be 86 in the last year of his second term. By virtually any barometer, that is too old. Whether age-related or otherwise, his mental and cognitive abilities are obviously in decline. That can only get worse as he continues to age. There is a reason his White House handlers rarely let him answer any questions. On those rare occasions when he does, his answers are often rambling, incoherent, have been racist, and sometimes just angry. His facade is slipping, and he no longer has, if he ever had, the demeanor necessary to be president.

As Robert Gates, former defense secretary in the Obama administration, once said, Biden has 'been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.' That record of consistently being wrong has only continued during his presidency. His record on many key issues since he has been in office—inflation, the economy, immigration, and the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, to name just a few—is no better.

The ongoing suspicions surrounding his and his son Hunter's alleged bribery schemes are yet more reasons why his reelection campaign is problematic. It appears at this point that these bribery allegations have already compromised him. To date, the investigation is merely the tip of the iceberg. Finally, the Democrats certainly have candidates currently in Congress or serve as governors who are sharper mentally and physically and can do a better job. These reasons alone should make clear that Biden should not seek reelection. 

Luis (Yes)

While President Joe Biden has shown good and bad moments during his presidency, nothing prevents him from seeking reelection. Polls from last year until now show the president maintaining decent popularity and approval among Democrats, as other options—like Robert F Kennedy, who first ran his campaign in his party—haven't been able to capitalize on Biden's known mistakes and create enthusiasm for an alternative among liberals.

Additionally, it's on Biden's constitutional right to run for office again, even when some analysts believe he shouldn't do it because of his age. According to the US Constitution, those who want to be eligible to run for office need to meet three criteria, and Biden satisfies them all. The first one is being a natural-born citizen of the United States. The second one is being at least 35 years old, and the third is being a resident of the US for at least 14 years. 

Running for a second term allows Biden to continue his agenda. He still has key policy objectives to achieve during a second term, such as healthcare reform, climate change mitigation, criminal justice reform, and continued infrastructure investment. Biden’s currently the only and best candidate the Democratic Party has to offer. He has implemented some policies that have reduced inflation and gas prices while passing bills for the environmental and unrepresented communities, showing he can get along with the moderate and more leftist factions of the party. Finally, Biden's chances of winning the presidential election in 2024 are high. Biden may be a flawed president, as all are, but he has the legal right, standing, and political capital to seek reelection.