Chicago political heavyweight David Axelrod questions wisdom of President Biden running again
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It may be hard to believe, but Tuesday marks one year from Election Day in 2024 – the first Tuesday in November.
As CBS 2's Marybel González reported Monday night, one Chicago political heavyweight is now questioning whether President Joe Biden going on running for another term is a good idea.
There are now new political polls out showing where former President Donald Trump – the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for 2024 – stands in key battleground states.
The polls by the New York Times and Siena College give an early insight into where voters in battleground states stand.
As CBS 2 New York Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, the polls showed Mr. Trump ahead of Mr. Biden by a range of 4 to 10 points in Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Only Pennsylvania, where Trump led by 4, was within the margin of error of 4.4 to 4.8. Only Wisconsin was in the Biden win column, but he was squeaking out a 2-point victory.
Mr. Trump won all the aforementioned states except Nevada in 2016. Mr. Biden won them all in 2020.
The poll also showed Biden losing support among Black, Hispanic, and young voters, Kramer reported.
A national CBS News poll also showed Mr. Trump slightly ahead – showing concerns among voters largely centering around the economy.
"You see Trump votersm thinking about this rematch, feel more 'hopeful' and 'motivated,'" said Anthony Salvanto, CBS News Director of Elections and Surveys, "but by comparison, those Biden voters - their top answers are 'nervous' and 'frustrated.'"
Some pundits think the results may have played a role in Trump's aggressive testimony Monday during his Manhattan fraud trial, Kramer reported.
Political strategist David Axelrod – founder of the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, chief strategist for President Barack Obama's political campaigns, and senior advisor to Mr. Obama as president – weighed in on the poll, and whether President Biden should run for reelection or not.
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Axelrod wrote: "Only
@JoeBiden can make this decision. If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it's in HIS best interest or the country's?"
Only @JoeBiden can make this decision. If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it's in HIS best interest or the country's?
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 5, 2023
Following up on X, Axelrod called Mr. Biden "justly proud of his accomplishments" and Mr. Trump "a dangerous, unhinged demagogue whose brazen disdain for the rules, norms, laws and institutions or democracy should be disqualifying. But the stakes of miscalculation here are too dramatic to ignore."
"There's just a lot of concern about the age issue, and that is something that I think he needs to ponder," Axelrod said in an interview, "just to check and say, is this the right thing to do?"
At nearly 81, Mr. Biden is the oldest president in American history – though Mr. Trump is less than four years younger. The New York Times showed 71 percent citing concerns about Mr. Biden's age.
We know President Biden has reaffirmed his intention to run for reelection – focusing on issues surrounding the economy as part of that. He met with Amtrak workers in Delaware Monday.