Joe Biden in the video launching his re-election bid, April 25, 2023
As US President Joe Biden announced his candidacy for re-election on Tuesday, I spoke with Ireland’s RTE and the BBC about the man, his Administration’s record, and the forthcoming campaign.
Listen to RTE Radio 1
Listen to BBC Radio Scotland from 1:12.33
It’s quite clear that Biden — quite rightly — see Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who needs to be stopped
But I wouldn’t underestimate the other challenges — immigration, the Supreme Court’s challenge to women’s rights, the ongoing failure to deal with gun control.
I think Biden wants to take on those challenges for another four years.
I also discuss the sudden departure of polemicist Tucker Carlson from Fox TV, considering the damage that both the commenatator and the channel have caused to US politics and society.
Listen to BBC West Midlands from 3:24.51
I spoke further with BBC radio on Tuesday afternoon about the dynamics of politics within the Democratic and Republican parties, and whether a damaged US media system could get back to coverage of issues rather than spectacle.
This is probably the Administration which has accomplished the most on the domestic front since the 1960s.
So if this election is on issues and achievements, not only does Biden have good reason to run but Democrats fare well against any Republican.
but of course American politics doesn’t turn on issues these days, it turns on white noise and disinformation. The question is which one prevails next year.
[Editor’s Note: Not quite. If all three states had swung, the Electoral College would have been tied 269-269.]
Although Biden clearly won the popular vote in 2020, Trump could have won in the electoral college had 40,000 votes in the states of Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia not gone against him.
Yes, and then the House would have voted per state to elect Trump (assuming he had the full support of Republican congressmen).
But if he won those 3 states in 2024 – and held the other red states – he would win with 272 votes in the EC (because Texas and Florida have gained 3).
“So if this election is on issues and achievements, not only does Biden have good reason to run but Democrats fare well against any Republican.”
Broad doubts about Biden’s age and acuity spell Republican opportunity in 2024: POLL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/broad-doubts-bidens-age-acuity-spell-republican-opportunity/story?id=99109308
“Americans by 54-36% say Trump did a better job handling the economy when he was president than Biden has done in his term so far.”
Biden trails behind Trump and DeSantis in 2024 general election matchups: Poll: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/07/biden-trump-desantis-2024-election-poll/70192303007/
“Americans hold a better view of former President Donald Trump’s, who is widely seen as the frontrunner of the Republican primary race, capabilities to physically and mentally serve as president compared to Biden. Some 64% of Americans think Trump is in good enough physical health to serve and 54% think Trump is mentally fit to serve…..And in a hypothetical 2024 general election matchup, Biden is falling behind Trump, with 44% of voting-age respondents saying they would either “definitely” or “probably’ vote for Trump while 38% say the same for Biden. Meanwhile, 18% are undecided.”