Pelosi Dodges Biden Reelection Question As Democrats Brace For Midterms
As Democrats search for a positive narrative in advance of the upcoming midterm elections, Nancy Pelosi avoided saying whether Joe Biden should run for reelection in two years. When asked that question on Thursday, she only said that Biden had provided a “great service” by winning over President Donald Trump in 2020.
Biden himself said last year that he intended to run again in 2024 if he is healthy then. However, in last weekend’s “60 Minutes” interview, he said it was now “too early” to announce a decision about running again. Even though he said he “intended” to run again, he added that a formal announcement would trigger election law requirements.
Biden’s approval rating continues to tank as Election Day is rapidly approaching, with only 42.9% of Americans approving of his performance in office and 52.6% disapproving. A recent poll by USA Today and Ipsos indicated that 56% of Democratic voters believe Biden should not run for a second term.
He is already the oldest president to hold office in the nation’s history and would be 86 at the time he leaves office should he successfully run for reelection and complete a second term.
Pelosi is running for reelection at age 82 after first being elected to the House in 1986. She is expected to coast to victory in her heavily Democratic San Francisco district.
A recent CBS News poll shows that 73% of all American adults believe that there should be a maximum age limit for candidates for federal office. A majority of all demographic groups agreed that an age cap should apply to elections.
Democrat candidates around the nation have struggled with having their campaigns identified with the negative image the Biden White House projects. The price inflation that has held through the summer at rates not seen in four decades and an ongoing illegal immigration crisis hammering the southern border are leaving them searching for positive selling points.
FiveThirtyEight currently gives Republicans a 70% chance of retaking control of the House after the November midterms. RealClearPolitics rates 218 House elections as “safe,” “likely,” or “leaning” to the GOP. Democrats have 185 seats in those categories, and only 32 elections are rated as “tossups.” Republicans must win 218 seats in November to retake a House majority.
