
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In a recent television interview, former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs did not believe Biden’s age should be a significant factor in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. ; Consistent with the White House spin, Gibbs said that Biden is in good health and has proven he is up to doing the job.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Even if that were true – and there is noticeable evidence that the President is NOT in tip-top shape physically or mentally – Biden’s condition as of today is meaningless. ; The important question is: What will be Biden’s condition six years – in 2029 – when he would theoretically be ending a second term? ; He would be approaching his 86<sup>th</sup> birthday at that time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Biden folks believe he should be judged on his accomplishments – at least their interpretation of his accomplishments. ; Even that is not a slam dunk for Biden. ; He has a number of failures in the eyes of most voters. ; His approval rating on immigration (ABC/Ipsos &#8211; 26%), crime (Reuters/Ipsos &#8211; 32%) and the all-important economy (CNN &#8211; 30%) do not bode well for a second term. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Then there was that unforgettable surrender in Afghanistan. ; Many voters still remember his mishandling of the last days of Covid – including keeping kids out of schools, continuing shutdowns, imposing masking too long, and the snail-pace vaccination program.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Even worse, the voting public is not buying the White House spin on ALLEGED accomplishments. ; They point out that he has signed more than 300 bipartisan bills. ; Is that really an accomplishment? ; Despite stark partisan disagreement on a few major issues, the two parties always pass a large number of bipartisan bills – most of which are noncontroversial.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Democrats and their media cronies claim that Biden defeated an effort by Republicans to cut Social Security and Medicare even though there was no such effort or intent. ; You cannot fool all the people all the time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">They also credit Biden with unifying NATO, bringing in new members, and leading the Alliance in the Ukraine conflict. ; In my judgment, it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who unified NATO and convinced Finland and Sweden to seek membership – and even that is not yet assured unless Turkey President Erdoğan ends his opposition. ; And … if you follow the commitment to Ukraine within NATO, you will clearly see that Biden has been the Johnny-come-lately. ; He is still behind the curve in providing fighter jets and letting Ukraine attack military targets inside of Mother Russia.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Biden rightfully claims that in his first two years, HE created more jobs than any President in four years. ; Of course, virtually all of that was the post-Covid reopening of the economy. ; They were not really new jobs – but rather old jobs being re-filled. ; He is yet to achieve the pre-Covid job levels.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Biden claims that his signature legislation – the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act – was a great victory. ; Given Biden’s toilet-level polling numbers in handling the economy – the number one issue on the minds of voters – it does not seem that voters see the Inflation Reduction Act as a big deal. Perhaps that is because the people are still suffering the impact of inflation and shortages.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And then there are those gas prices. ; Biden cut American oil production, ended the Keystone Pipeline, and curtailed exploration. ; After depleting the national reserves, Biden had to humiliatingly beg Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman &#8212; and got nothing. ; In fact, Saudi Arabia just announced a cut in production that will be seen as price increases at the pump.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Biden’s record is a mixed bag at best. ; It is not convincing the voters, however. ; In May, Biden received his worst ever favorability rating. ; Reuters/Ipsos gave him an abysmal 32 percent. ; Sixty-eight percent say the country is on the wrong track – with only 12 percent saying it is on the right track. ; Those are not the kind of numbers a President gets if he has a good record to run on.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At various times, Biden runs behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in major national polls – and even behind President Trump. ; And even when he is ahead, it is still very close.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But his worst polling number has to do with age. ; More than 70 percent of voters believe that Biden is too damn old to serve a second term. ; And that is today. ; What can be said with certainty is that Biden will not be getting any younger in the future – or any healthier, physically or mentally. ; There will be more falls … more gaffes … and more senior moments … between now and Election Day 2024 – no matter how sequestered he remains during the campaign.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">During his interview, Gibbs said that if Biden could reverse his age, he would win reelection handily. ; That is a tacit – and unintended – admission that age is a potential barrier to a second term.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If actuary tables mean anything, it is unlikely that Biden would be well enough to complete a second term – even if he survives. ; The worst case would be an incapacitated President – as was the case in the last days of both Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">That is also another hindrance to a Biden second term – Vice President Harris. ; Her popularity is in the mid-20s. ; The mere thought of her assuming the presidency is abhorrent to a majority of voters. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I have previously handicapped the odds of winding up with President Harris at better than 50/50 if the current ticket wins reelection. ; That is enough to convince a lot of voters not to take a chance on a Biden second term. ; Biden’s three strikes are age, record, and Harris. ; And I believe the age issue trumps the poor job performance issue – and that one is not all that great for Biden. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there ‘tis.</p>

It’s The Age, Stupid!
