President Biden turned 81 on Monday, and another flip of the calendar accentuated the attacks from naysayers who believe he’s too old to seek another term in office. This sentiment was given additional fuel when he seemingly confused Britney Spears with Taylor Swift during the annual Turkey Day pardoning.
“Just to get here, Liberty and Bell had to beat some tough odds and competition. They had to work hard, to show patience, and be willing to travel over 1,000 miles,” Biden said. “You could say it’s even harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour or, or Britney’s tour. She’s down, it’s kind of warm in Brazil right now.”
Was Biden merely joking or, as his adversaries would contend, having another senior moment? Whatever the case, you can bet it won’t escape the notice of Trumpites and right-wing Republicans.
But a gaffe may be the least of Biden’s worries at the moment with several polls showing him trailing Trump in the race for the White House among young voters ages 18 to 34, with 46% of them supporting Trump and 42% for Biden.
This is a significant difference from Biden’s numbers with the younger set of voters in the 2020 presidential race. At that time he won voters ages 18 to 29 by more than 20 points, according to the national exit poll. There is still plenty of time to get back on serve, to borrow a tennis term, with the election a year away and knowing the unpredictability of the polls.
Biden should also be more than a little bit concerned about the African American vote. Polls show this demographic is less than excited about his reelection, and that could be a deciding factor.
Despite the gloom and doom reports, Biden is doing considerably well on the economic front with joblessness still very low, the big three unions nearly back to par, and inflation showing some good signs of cooling.
Yes, Biden is at the mercy of the clock and calendar, but so was Barack Obama taking it on the chin in 2012, only to rally from life support and overtake Mitt Romney. These are a few narratives that Biden needs to summon to overcome the ever-mounting headwinds.