President Joe Biden’s age, which stands at 81, has been a notable vulnerability in his reelection campaign. However, his poor debate performance last month has caused a panic within the Democratic Party. As a result, they are now grappling with the possibility that his age may prove to be a fatal flaw in his campaign. This has led to discussions about whether another candidate may be a better option for the party.
Despite the recent debate, the issue of Biden’s age hasn’t garnered much attention from the majority of Americans, according to polls. Although the polls have shifted towards former President Donald Trump for the upcoming presidential election, the opinions regarding Biden’s age have remained relatively unchanged. This is not due to a more favorable perception of Biden’s debate performance, but rather because most Americans already had concerns about his age, and these concerns have seemingly reached a limit.
To measure this, we can examine several polls conducted by a pollster that has consistently asked the same question over time. YouGov and The Economist have been asking Americans about their views on Biden’s age and how it may impact his performance as president if he is re-elected. Their findings indicate that even before the debate, respondents, including Democrats, were already uncertain about Biden’s abilities. However, after the debate, there was a slight increase in concern among Americans.
In September of last year, Americans were asked about their thoughts on President Biden’s health and age in relation to his ability to carry out his duties if he were to be reelected. At that time, 57 percent of respondents believed that his age would “severely limit” his capabilities in this regard. Following the recent debate, this number has increased slightly to 61 percent. It is worth noting that many Democrats have also expressed concerns about the president’s age and ability to perform his job. Last September, 25 percent of Democrats believed that his age would severely limit his abilities in a potential second term, while that number increased to 30 percent immediately after the debate and has remained at 27 percent in a more recent poll.
Polls regarding Biden’s age have shown a consistent trend. YouGov and Yahoo News conducted surveys last year and this year, asking Americans about their concerns regarding Biden’s age in relation to his capability to serve as president. The results indicate a slight rise in the percentage of individuals who consider age to be a significant issue, but it is not a significant increase from last year’s findings.
A recent poll conducted between June 28 and July 1, which was done after the debate, revealed that 56 percent of Americans and 28 percent of Democrats consider Biden’s age a significant issue. However, the numbers are not too far from a November poll, where 25 percent of Democrats and an equal 56 percent of all respondents stated that the President’s age is a major concern.
According to numerous polls conducted over the past year, the issue of Joe Biden’s age and its potential impact on his ability to perform his duties has been a concern for many Americans. These polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans, including a significant number of Democrats, worry about the president’s advanced age. The recent debate performance may have only served to highlight this existing concern rather than diminish it. It appears that the polls are starting to reveal the true scale of the problem posed by Biden’s age.
In August of last year, a poll conducted by AP-NORC asked Americans if they believed that Joe Biden was “too old to effectively serve another four-year term.” Shockingly, 77 percent of the respondents answered in the affirmative, including a majority (69 percent) of Democrats. Furthermore, when asked to associate words with the President, the most common responses were related to his age, such as “old,” “aging,” and “elderly.” In January of this year, Ipsos and Reuters conducted a poll that found 74 percent of Americans and 60 percent of Democrats somewhat or strongly agreed that Biden was “too old to work in government.” In April, the latest ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll revealed that 81 percent of Americans believed Biden was “too old for a second term,” which is not far off from the 85 percent who held that view after the debate.
Biden’s age has been a topic of political discussion before, with the recent debate being no exception. In fact, last summer Biden stumbled on a sandbag during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, further fueling concerns about his age. Additionally, earlier this year, a report was issued by the special counsel investigating the president’s handling of classified documents. The report referred to Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and noted that he had “diminished faculties in advancing age.”
The increase in apprehension regarding Biden’s capability to serve a second term has been influenced by various events. Pew Research Center’s polling reveals that the percentage of voters who characterized Biden as “mentally sharp” has decreased by almost half during his tenure. In a recent poll, only 24 percent of respondents described the president as mentally sharp, compared to the 46 percent who did so in October 2020.
It’s not just Biden’s age that concerns Americans; they also have reservations about Trump’s age. At 78 years and seven months, Trump would become the oldest president ever sworn into office if he wins the election, slightly edging out Biden, who was 78 years and two months old. Although a significant number of Americans feel that Trump is too old, it’s not as much of an issue for him as it is for Biden. Despite spouting a plethora of lies during the debates, Trump appeared lively and alert.
Despite concerns about his age, Joe Biden has the potential to win the support of voters who may still harbor doubts about his ability to lead the country as President. In fact, a New York Times/Siena College poll conducted after the debate showed that 69 percent of registered voters agreed that Biden was “too old to be an effective president.” Interestingly, 55 percent of those who chose Biden in a head-to-head matchup with Trump also expressed concerns about his age. However, when asked to elaborate, 40 percent of Biden’s supporters who had concerns about his age felt that he was still capable enough to handle the job of President, despite his age. Only 14 percent of those voters felt that his age would prevent him from being an effective President.
While many voters are not concerned about Joe Biden’s age, there are still some who see it as a major issue. These voters may ultimately determine whether or not he is successful in his bid for the presidency. Regardless of what Biden chooses to do, whether he continues to run or steps aside for another candidate, his age will continue to be a significant factor in the 2020 election. As the public becomes increasingly uneasy about his age, it will undoubtedly be a prominent topic in the media and among voters.
