The Wall Street Journal-Biden Is a Dangerous Choice for Democrats
September 6, 2023 4 min 757 words
这篇报道对拜登总统的评价非常尖锐。虽然它提到了一项8月30日的《华尔街日报》民意调查，但文章主要关注了拜登的弱点，包括公众对他的不利看法，尤其是关于年龄和身体状况。文章认为拜登容易输给特朗普在2024年的总统选举中，因为大多数选民认为他“精神上不适合总统工作”，同时认为他“年龄太大，不能再竞选总统”。 不仅如此，文章还强调了拜登在政策方面的弱点，包括边境安全、通货膨胀和经济等方面的低支持率。此外，文章提到特朗普也存在一些负面因素，但认为拜登的年龄和身体状况问题是更大的挑战。 作者还建议民主党认真考虑是否应该换人选举，寻找年轻的候选人。他认为，这样的候选人可能更有机会赢得总统大选，尤其是如果他们能够吸引独立选民和失望的共和党选民。最后，文章指出，拜登的妻子和妹妹可能是唯一能够说服他退出竞选的人，尽管这种可能性很小。 总的来说，这篇报道明确表达了对拜登总统的负面看法，认为他对民主党来说可能是一个危险的选择。然而，如何看待这些问题仍然是政治辩论的一部分，而2024年的选举结果将最终决定拜登总统的政治命运。
There’s terrible news for President Biden and Donald Trump in the Aug. 30 Wall Street Journal poll. It found only 39% of voters had a favorable opinion and 58% had an unfavorable opinion of each.
The poll is particularly brutal for Mr. Biden. When asked if he is “mentally up for the job of president,” 60% said no, 36% yes, and by an overwhelming margin—73% to 22%—they think Mr. Biden “is too old to run for president.”
These numbers won’t get better as the 2024 election approaches. Campaign wizardry can make up for some candidate shortcomings, but no political magic can hide this president’s age, declining verbal skills and increasing frailty.
Mr. Biden is vulnerable on policy grounds too. Only 30% approve of his handling of “securing the border.” On “inflation and rising costs,” he clocks in at 34% approval. Voters give Mr. Biden 36% for “growing the middle class” and “dealing with China,” 37% on “the economy,” and 39% on “handling Social Security and Medicare.”
Mr. Biden’s brain trust may believe those numbers will improve significantly next year. Perhaps, but it’s hardly guaranteed. Team Biden may also think Mr. Trump has so many negatives that a scorched-earth campaign against him will leave Mr. Biden the lesser of evils. On paper that could work. After all, Mr. Trump is thought to be corrupt by 58% of voters while 57% believe he isn’t honest.
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Moreover, a majority of voters already believe three of Mr. Trump’s indictments are legitimate—56% for “allegedly taking classified documents” and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them, 55% for “allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election” on Jan. 6, 2021, and 55% for allegedly trying to reverse his Georgia loss. These numbers won’t likely improve for Mr. Trump as his lawyers battle in courtrooms next year.
Republicans can’t afford this. Mr. Trump lost in 2020 with 94% GOP support. That between 21% to 26% of Republicans think these indictments are legitimate suggests bigger GOP defections in 2024.
Yet even with all this, the Journal poll, like other recent surveys, had Messrs. Trump and Biden in a dead heat—46% to 46% in a two-way contest and 40% Trump to 39% Biden when the Green and Libertarian candidates are added.
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And there’s a significant contest over whether Republicans should field a different standard-bearer than Mr. Trump. Democrats should seriously consider doing the same with Mr. Biden.
There are risks to trying to replace an incumbent. Jimmy Carter was similarly plagued in 1979—the economy was horrible, the Soviets were on the move around the globe, and voters thought he was weak and overwhelmed by events. But the primary challenge by Sen. Edward Kennedy flopped. Unable even to provide a rationale for his candidacy, the Massachusetts Democrat fell to Mr. Carter and weakened the president’s chances against Ronald Reagan.
Still, Mr. Biden is already in real danger of losing the general election. A new Democrat could almost certainly do better. To challenge Mr. Biden, a Democratic primary opponent must signal respect for the aging president rather than anger. He or she should express great affection for Mr. Biden and gratitude for his service, but say what many Democrats know in their hearts: The party and the country would be better off if Democrats went with a younger nominee. This plan could backfire as Kennedy’s did, but a fresh face—especially a proven officeholder who can appeal to independents and disaffected Republicans—could hold the White House for Democrats.
The two most important people in getting Mr. Biden off the field may be First Lady Jill Biden and Valerie Biden Owen,
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Mr. Biden’s stepping aside is admittedly unlikely. His wife and sister may want him to run. He must have considered and rejected retiring before announcing he would seek re-election. However, it’s clear most Americans, including a huge number of Democrats, believe he is too old to run. They’re practically shouting it. The president and his team ignore them at their party’s peril.
Mr. Rove, a Journal columnist, helped organize the political-action committee American Crossroads and is author of “The Triumph of William McKinley” (Simon & Schuster, 2015).