Nobody likes him, nobody wants him, but there's a caveat here

Majority of Democrats want Biden to step aside in 2024

Nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters (64%) want the party to pick a different candidate for the 2024 presidential race, while more than three-quarters of Americans (77%) say the country is moving in the wrong direction, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released on Monday.

Only 13% say that the US is on the right track, the fewest since the depths of the Great Recession more than a decade ago.

As the White House struggles to respond to sky-high inflation, Biden’s job approval rating has fallen to 33%, including just 70% among Democrats.

Biden, the country’s oldest-ever president at 79, has repeatedly said he intends to run for re-election, but Democratic voters are growing less and less enthusiastic about the prospect.

When asked why they would prefer a candidate besides Biden in 2024, 33% cite his age, 32% point to his job performance, 12% say they just prefer someone new, 10% say Biden isn’t progressive enough, and 4% doubt his ability to win re-election.

​The poll was released one day after the Times reported that some White House staffers are questioning whether the president can handle the rigors of what is expected to be a grueling campaign — citing the increasing number of gaffes in his speeches and a noticeable change in the way Biden walks.

That all sounds encouraging, but here’s what I think is the more important takeaway:

While Democrats appear to be down on Biden’s chances in 2024, they change their tone when faced with the possibility of a 2020 rematch with former President Donald Trump.

In that scenario, 92% of Democrats would back Biden.

The opportunity to replace a doddering old 81-year-old president with a petulant, enemies-obsessed 78-year-old doesn’t sound all that appealing; not when De Santis is available.