The past month has been a wild one politically. From President Biden's shocking debate to Trump’s assassination attempt and RNC Convention to Biden’s dropout and the now surging Kamala Harris. With many things happening between these events, calling the last month a rollercoaster is an understatement. But on the rollercoaster, one of the main factors in this wild ride has been quickly forgotten: Biden’s failed reelection bid. While a surprise in the moment, there should be no surprise when considering the three major issues for Biden’s failed campaign.
I. Old Age
It should be no surprise that President Biden’s old age was a major barrier for his reelection campaign. Biden would have been the oldest main party candidate for president in United States history.
This issue peaked at the June 27th presidential debate against former President Trump, but it was long brewing. The president had already been limiting public appearances throughout his term. It was clear to many people that Biden no longer had the energy or youth to campaign or motivate voters. This issue became so contentious that concerns were brought over his ability to serve a remaining term.
The debate and the resulting unflattering photos firmly put the media and leading Democrats against a Biden reelection bid.
II. No Successful Push of Achievements or Attacks
While this could be related to the age, the sharpness, and the limited public appearances of the president, during President Biden’s term and campaign, there was a serious lack of push for achievements in office.
This made it hard for Biden’s campaign to convince voters of a strong reason for giving Biden a second term other than him not being Trump. While there were some attempts, they failed to become a mainstream voting issue that resonated with voters, especially moderates and independents.
They also had some achievements to boast such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Student Debt Relief, and the Chips and Science Act. The president’s campaign just failed to successfully push and promote these achievements. This is not even noting the many attacks available against former President Trump they failed to successfully utilize.
The lack of a successful push was also clear when watching the debate. President Biden failed to clearly and firmly articulate his successes and attacks on his opponent.
To conclude this point, President Biden being “secretly achieved” illustrates a key idea that held back his campaign’s reelection efforts. There was no strong visible message or rallying cry for voters.
III. Questionable Economy
A hidden prerequisite for getting reelected as an incumbent president is presiding over a good economy. While the data is limited, having a good economy as a president can make elections easier.
Even though it is usually not the president’s fault for a bad economy, it can destroy a president’s popularity. For Biden, he unfortunately does not have a good economy, at least for regular Americans. Middle class Americans are struggling, but wealthy Americans are prospering.
It is clear the economy has still not recovered from COVID-19. The effects of inflation are still very present, and interest rates are high. While the US may appear to be doing considerably better than other Western countries, it was still not enough to give President Biden a boost for reelection.
Conclusion
Even though smaller issues played a role, old age is the backbone of the reelection campaign failure. Vice President Kamala Harris as the new nominee reshapes this election. She is able to knock out one of Biden’s major flaws: old age and a lack of energy. Harris is still an underdog with less than 90 days to win an election, but, for her benefit, she has been riding a wave of momentum for the past few weeks. Crunch time is only now starting for this election season, and lots of things can still happen. It will be interesting to see what Vice President Harris can do with an unrelenting and energetic approach.
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