Democratic voters react to Biden’s 2024 run announcement

US President Joe Biden has officially announced that he will run again in 2024.

The BBC asked Democratic voters how they felt about wanting to re-elect the 80-year-old president, and their feelings began with three words.

While some feel he has accomplished a lot as president, others say he was not their first choice this time around.

In three words: Confident, comfortable, confident

Only in the United States do the over-65s continue to dominate politics, while in other democracies the under-50s lead those countries. Our system is broken if parties only get nominations from people over 70, whites and men.

Biden has done so much good for our country as a senator, vice president, and even president in the last two years. However, he is always looked down upon for his age. I feel sad that many people on the other side are saying his health is deteriorating, when it is not – he is an 80 year old man.

I wish there was someone new. I believe Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Tammy Duckworth, Hakeem Jeffries, JP Pritzker or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could fill that spot.

I think his chances of winning a rematch with Trump are better than against Ron DeSantis. I think he will win, and I plan to vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is, and I will vote Democrat all the way to the GOP. [Republican Party] It is possible to create a platform that is not based on hate.

Right now, I’m very happy to have someone I agree with on important topics like gay rights and women’s rights, climate change, and letting someone organize who makes politics boring again. I really miss the boring part.

[John F] Kennedy was young and still dead in office, so age is no guarantee of anything. I’m not a big fan of Vice President Harris, and I don’t know if she has the ability to inspire people in Congress, but I’m fine with that risk for someone other than Biden. I think he can beat whoever the Republican nominee is.

I don’t care about his age. Age is no guarantee of talent or creativity. His tenure as President is a proud achievement at any age.

As for the other candidates, I’m excited about the governors — Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, Wes Moore in Maryland, and Joshua Shapiro in Pennsylvania. If Trump doesn’t run and is unlikely to win the GOP nomination, I’d be excited to support Whitmer in his bid for president if he does. She is tough, helpful and relatable.

I believe Biden can win against Trump, but will lose more liberal votes against another Republican.

Resigned, restless, obliging

If a president dies in office, the choice of a vice president can radically change the course of history. So yes, I am incredibly concerned about his age and who will be the leader if he is incapacitated while in office.

For running mate, I’d like to see John Fetterman bring an economic labor voice to national leadership. JP Pritzker, Mitch Landrieu or Roy Cooper would be more helpful against the Republican ticket in the general election than Kamala Harris. Ultimately, many feel we are compelled to vote for Democrats, not because they provide leadership or actually serve the public good.

All things being equal, I think Biden could pull off a win. He performed better than expected, but that’s mostly circumstantial. Anything can happen between now and the election.

Disappointed, not surprised

I am very concerned – he is too old to hold public office. He shows his age very clearly in his behavior and speech. It seems his true cognitive abilities are still high, but who knows for how long?

I wish there was someone else with newer and more progressive ideas. I don’t know who it will be.

I think he can win again, but it will be very close. Assuming it’s Trump it’s certainly close. I don’t think Ron DeSantis or anyone else has the ability to win the Republican nomination if Trump is in the field.