Here’s what President Biden didn’t address in letter to House Democrats
Congressional Democrats held private meetings Tuesday about Biden’s campaign
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray TV Iowa State Capitol Bureau) - Will President Joe Biden’s letter to U.S. House Democrats –which was released publicly – ease their concerns that he isn’t up to leading the country for another term in the White House? More importantly, will it change the minds of American voters who think that he isn’t mentally fit for a job that could see him turn 86 years old while in office?
There are increased questions about Biden’s ability to serve another term after his performance during the first president debate with Republican former president Donald Trump, 78, on June 27th where he appeared confused at times.
House Democrats took part in a meeting Tuesday where they discussed the Biden’s campaign and whether he should remain in the race. Seven Democratic U.S. representatives have said publicly that Biden should not be the party’s nominee again, a rare display of opposition for a sitting president.
Here are the Democrats who have confirmed publicly that they do not want Biden to be their party’s choice for president on the 2024 ballot:
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
- Rep. Seth Moulton (Massachusetts)
- Rep. Raul Grijalva (Arizona)
- Rep. Angie Craig (Minnesota)
- Rep. Mike Quigley (Illinois)
- Rep. Adam Smith (Washington)
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey)
CNN reported that an additional five Democrats said that Biden should not be the party’s nominee during a private group call with representatives on Sunday.
In his letter to House Democrats released Monday, Biden said that he has had “extensive conversations with the leadership of the party, elected officials, rank and file members, and most importantly, Democratic voters over the past 10 days or so.”
In Biden’s letter it also states that he has “taken great strength from the resolve and determination I’ve seen from so many voters and grassroots supporters even in the hardest of weeks.”
But Biden’s letter does not address a concern that national polls show could be a significant challenge for him: a majority of Americans do not believe that he has the mental fitness to be president for another term.
In a CNN poll released last week, 75% of voters said that Democrats would have a better chance of winning the presidential election if someone other than Biden were the nominee. That included 56% of registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning Americans.
In Biden’s letter to House Democrats it also states that Biden “wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”
The most recent national polls show Biden trailing Trump, so do polls in key battleground states. It is a troubling development for some Democrats who question how Biden could lose to Trump, despite Trump’s previous felony convictions and numerous criminal and civil investigations into his behavior and actions.
See the latest polls from Real Clear Politics here.
About the author: Midwest native Dave Price is Gray Television’s Iowa Political Director for 10 stations that broadcast in the state and has been covering local, state and national politics from Iowa since 2001.
Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly, in-depth show focused on interviews with top leaders on politics, issues, challenges and solutions that impact the state.
He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at dave.price@gray.tv. Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.
Dave welcomes your thoughts on what answers to seek from politicians and what issues challenge our communities.
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