This in-depth package was curated and edited by Katie Sasamoto-Kurisu.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, President Joe Biden has a variety of reasons to be optimistic, from the state of the economy to the successes of fellow Democrats in the midterm and special elections. Still, political strategists and national polling suggest that the public has its doubts about the prospect of four more years.
“Biden is not the ideal or first choice of significant portions of the Democratic Party,” said William Howell, a University of Chicago political science professor. “That’s true of people who are younger, for sure. It’s also true for people who are more progressive.”
Among the emerging concerns, voters regularly mention one over and over again: age. If elected, both of the leading candidates, President Biden or former President Donald Trump, would be the oldest president in the history of the United States by the end of his term.
Cathy Cohen, also a University of Chicago political science professor, has conducted research on the topic of young voters — young voters of color, in particular — and their feelings about the political domain. Dr. Cohen said Biden’s age seems to be an issue of significance to young voters especially.
“Different groups of young people are experiencing the political arena very differently,” she explained. “But I think there are a number of issues about whether they will vote and whether they will vote for Biden. One of the issues is his age.”
Another issue that could affect the feelings of voters leading up to November is President Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Some critics say President Biden has taken too rigid a stance in support of the Israeli government, and Dr. Cohen said that polling suggests that he might struggle over the issue to maintain some segment of Democratic voters who were supportive in the past.
Yet, Dr. Howell asserts that the topic might not ultimately be a determining factor for Biden’s fate.
“Generally speaking, for most of the American electorate, foreign policy — unless it’s a major, major war — doesn’t usually loom especially large in their imaginations,” Dr. Howell said. “It doesn’t play a kind of real forceful role in shaping how people vote historically.”
One area that seems to be an advantage, Dr. Howell said, is the success of the economy. Among the positive signs are rising wages, a falling rate of inflation and the stock market being at record highs.
“That has historically been the most significant predictor of the electoral fortunes of incumbent presidents,” Dr. Howell said. “The economy is performing exceptionally well. It isn’t felt by everybody, but the fundamentals are in place.”
Still, Dr. Cohen notes, how the economy is experienced depends on a voter’s circumstances.
“The economy plays differently based on people’s age, how long they’ve been employed and the economic goals that they have for themselves,” she said. “It’s not clear that the economy will be the win for him.”
For President Biden, reminding voters of the economy’s successes may be key, Dr. Howell said.
“I think part of Biden’s job between now and Election Day is to communicate how his investments and his policies have made material improvement,” he said. “That’s gonna be his strongest asset to my mind in making the case for why he ought to stay in office.”
Especially for young voters, Dr. Cohen said, one risk for President Biden may not be an issue of whether or not younger voters will switch to select Mr. Trump. Instead, it is whether they will vote at all.
“I worry,” she said, “that the Democrats are kind of depending on the threat of Trump than excitement around Biden to mobilize young voters to the polls this year.”