“Why Biden’s Age Could Be a Strength in the 2024 Presidential Election”

Biden wants to run for president again – at the age of 80. In an interview with the daily topics political scientist Mounk explains why Biden could have a chance precisely because of his age and his moderate nature.

Joe Biden wants to stay in the White House – now his candidacy to run again as a presidential candidate is official. And despite his old age, the 80-year-old could have a chance of being nominated by the Democrats, estimates Yascha Mounk, political scientist and co-editor of “Die Zeit” in an interview with the daily topics.

However, from Mounk’s point of view, running again would be “a kind of mortgage” – especially in view of Biden’s age. Should there be another duel between Donald Trump, currently 76 years old, and Biden, the “oldest contenders in US history” would enter the race for the presidency. Biden would be 82 on election night, and if re-elected he would be 86 at the end of his second term.

Weakness could become strength

But despite all the concerns about the challenges of the office for a man of his age, Biden is a “relatively successful president”, especially in his first two years at the head of state, according to Mounk.

In addition, according to Mounk, both parties in the USA – the Republicans as well as the Democrats – are currently strongly influenced by the politically extreme camps. And that’s where Biden, who continues to appear moderate and “still able to deal well with the average American,” could enjoy an advantage – paradoxically, his old age could not only be a weakness, but also a strength.

Yes to Biden – ‘clenched fist in pocket’

Mounk also gives Biden a good chance of holding the broad coalition together again within his own party in 2024. Even in the last election, he was not chasing the votes from the extreme left camp like other candidates. Thanks to his moderate nature, he had the edge in the primaries. Also because of voters’ desire to prevent Trump from being re-elected. But for these same reasons, supporters from the extreme camps of the Democrats could vote for Biden again – “with a clenched fist in the pocket”.

Another fact that speaks for Biden: The Democrats lack “really credible alternatives” for the candidacy. The scenario of Biden as “interim president” was not realistic for Mounk from the start. Biden had been striving for office for too long, having first applied as a candidate for the 1988 presidential election. But other hopefuls – such as Vice President Kamala Harris – are behind the incumbent head of state in recent polls in terms of popularity. And so Biden remains “the best of many mediocre alternatives”.