President Joe Biden turns 81 today and will mark the occasion in Nantucket on Wednesday surrounded by six of his grandchildren, DailyMail.com has learned.
Before Biden was sworn in at age 78, President Ronald Reagan held the record as the oldest president. He lived to be 77 in the White House before leaving in 1989.
Now in power, Biden is setting a new age record every year and that will likely be a defining issue in the 2024 campaign.
Poll after poll shows Americans expressing deep concerns about his ability to be effective in a second term — where he would leave office at age 86 — especially after a series of falls and blunders.
The last Yahoo News/YouGov survey found that when Americans were asked what they were more concerned about – former President Trump’s 91 criminal charges or Biden’s age – the results showed a statistical correlation.
President Joe Biden blows out a candle last year when he turned 80. He turns 81 on Monday, another milestone birthday for the nation’s oldest president. Before Biden, President Ronald Reagan held the record for age: he turned 77 while in the White House
Poll after poll shows that Americans are deeply concerned about the president’s age and whether he can be an effective leader for four more years if re-elected next year. It hasn’t helped that he has made blunders and fallen, including from his bike in June 2022
The Gallup poll, which goes to President Harry S. Truman, found that Biden’s quarterly approval rating is lower than that of all but one post-World War II president, beating only President Jimmy Carter, who has an average approval rating had 31.4 percent.
Biden’s approval rating in October stood at 37 percent, up from 41 percent in September and an average of 40 percent over the past quarter.
Trump’s average approval rating at this point in his term was 40.7 percent.
Both Carter and Trump were one-term presidents.
The president’s Democratic allies have pointed out that Trump, the leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination, also has obligations when it comes to age.
The Republican ex-president is only three and a half years younger than Biden, at 77.
When he left office in 2017, Trump was 74, making him the second-oldest president at the time, trailing Reagan by three years.
If Trump is re-elected in 2024, he could become the second octogenarian president after Biden, who will leave office at the age of 82 if he serves a full term.
However, there is a public perception that Biden’s age is a bigger problem than Trump’s.
a frequently cited AP-NORC An August poll found that 77 percent of Americans said Biden was too old to be effective for another four years, while 51 percent said the same about Trump.
Political consultant Mary-Patricia Wray, who worked for Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, pointed out that Biden’s “experience is very valuable.”
The previous oldest US president, Ronald Reagan, was 77 when he left office in 1989 after two terms. By the time he left there was already speculation about his cognitive decline and six years later he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
Former President Donald Trump (left) and former first lady Melania Trump (right) leave the White House on President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day in 2021. At the time, he was 74. He would be 82 if re-elected in 2024.
But his age is “also a major risk for an elected official trying to win over an increasingly younger electorate.”
She told DailyMail.com that the “power of surrogacy” will be key to Biden’s success, encouraging the campaign to field younger Democrats.
“And in the end, that’s really the only good strategy to distance yourself from the fact that you’re old,” she said. “It’s saying, ‘Hey, look at my cool, young, hip friends.’
“And I will say that this is an advantage for Democrats because we are generally cooler, younger and hipper,” she added.
Some of the most dynamic younger Democrats, Wray pointed out, were unsuccessful in their races, drawing on former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who ran for a number of senior positions, and Rep. Tim Ryan, who lost to Ohio Sen. JD Vance last year, as an example.
They did build voter networks and data.
“In my perfect storm, I would take Beto and Tim Ryan’s data and have Taylor Swift send a message to it,” she said.
She said the Biden campaign should also look for more female surrogates and celebrities “whose likability transcends demographics.”
“Your Tom Hanks types,” Wray said.
The campaign should also look for surrogates “who are traditionally more conservative,” referring to someone like Kevin Costner, who voted for Biden in 2020.
“Someone who does that old-fashioned, traditional white man thing that makes him feel like an old-fashioned Charlton Heston. But then it’s actually for Biden – oh, plot twist!’ she said.
Wray also suggested macho military types.
“The Jon Hamms of the world,” she said. ‘As a straight white lady I am also in favor of that, let’s see more of that. Let’s put Jon Hamm on everything.”
Democratic political consultant Brendan Martin agreed that Biden should use the “standard mix of Democratic politicians and celebrities as campaign surrogates to effectively reach a broad range of voters and amplify his message.”
“However, I think they will also embrace and highlight the stories of average Americans who have benefited from his presidency,” Martin continued to DailyMail.com. “These individuals serve as powerful testimonials to the positive impact of Biden’s policies and can help connect with voters on a personal level.”
“Everyday Americans who have seen their lives improve under Biden’s leadership, the campaign will effectively counter the narrative of economic hardship and disillusionment promoted by his critics,” Martin added. “These stories can show that Biden’s policies are making a real difference in the lives of everyday people.”
But another Democratic strategist, who declined to be named, echoed the sentiments of Biden’s chief rival, Rep. Dean Phillips, who is running in part because he felt that Biden had promised during the 2020 race that he would be a holdover candidate who would pass the baton to the younger members of his party — and not seek re-election at age 81.
“I think I’m probably like a lot of Democrats in that I think President Biden has done a pretty good job, but I also wish he would step aside and let a younger generation take the lead,” the president said. source.
“He seems determined to run, so it’s time for people like me to stop the bullshit and get in line,” the Democrat added.