Global Courant 2023-04-25 16:02:35
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden made his re-election bid official Tuesday, ending months of speculation about his plans four years to the day since he announced his 2020 campaign.
In a video titled “Freedom” — which opens with a scene of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, followed by a depiction of an abortion rights protest — Biden said that after serving his first term fighting for the country’s democracy, “ MAGA extremists are lining up “to cut the social safety net and take away personal freedoms.
“Cut back on the Social Security you’ve paid all your life while cutting taxes on the very rich. Prescribing what health care decisions women can make, banning books and telling people who they can love. All while making it harder for you to vote,” he said.
He argued that his administration still has more to do.
President Joe Biden arrives at the Pennsylvania Democratic Party’s third annual independence dinner in Philadelphia on October 28, 2022.Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
“When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are. The question we face is whether we can do more in the coming years or have less freedom. More rights or less,” he said, adding, “This is no time to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for re-election.”
The launch is an attempt to position Biden as the country’s best hope of defeating a Republican opponent and bolstering his administration’s successes into 2024.
The fourth-anniversary symmetry provides a fitting opening for a president who has delved into key moments in history to pitch his vision of the road ahead for Americans.
Biden also launched his 2019 campaign with a video message — warning that four more years of Donald Trump “would forever and fundamentally change the character of this nation, who we are,” and emphasized the 2017 violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. His 2020 launch video does not mention Trump by name, though the specter of a rematch — and an acknowledgment of the powers of Trumpism — was present. The video features an image of GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters, and a photo of Trump next to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a main rival for the Republican nomination.
In his State of the Union address in February, Biden used the words “finish the job” more than a dozen times and warned of Republicans seeking to “hold the economy hostage.” Time and time again, he has contrasted so-called MAGA Republicans, pointing to former and potential future rival Trump and the elected GOP officials who he says have “proposed massive cuts” to “programs that millions of hard-working and middle-class Americans rely on.”
It’s part of the message that has propelled Biden to victory in 2020 and bolstered Democratic midterm victories in 2022 to avert a “red wave.”
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel took aim at Biden’s announcement of his re-election bid by characterizing him as “out-of-touch.”
“Biden is so out-of-touch that after causing crisis after crisis, he thinks he deserves another four years,” McDaniel said in a statement Tuesday. “If voters let Biden ‘finish the job,’ inflation will continue to rise, crime rates will rise, more fentanyl will cross our open borders, children will still be left behind, and American families will be worse off.”
“Republicans are united to defeat Biden and Americans are counting down the days until they can get Biden to leave,” she added.
The timeline for Biden’s announcement was in flux. The president began conferring with relatives over the holidays last year, with first lady Jill Biden confirming in December that she was “all in” for another run.
Still, Biden has resisted pressure to formalize his participation in the race, often appearing to protest any push for more urgency, even as preparations have ramped up in recent weeks. Asked about his plans Monday, he told reporters in the Rose Garden: “I told you, I intend to run. You’ll know soon.’
A visit to Ireland “strengthens” his decision to rejoin, Biden said this month. Portions of his anticipated reelection video were shot over the weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he has a home, after returning from a trip in Ireland, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
But even as Tuesday drew closer, some Democratic allies warned the date could shift, citing Biden’s willingness to delay major decisions until the last minute.
The rollout is not unusual. In 2011, President Barack Obama and Biden, then the vice president, presented voters across the country in a video announcing their reelection campaign, titled “It Begins With Us.”
Biden will address the North American Building Trade Union in Washington later Tuesday, a nod to his vow to lead “the most pro-union administration in American history.” union hall.
In a similar move, Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden has said would run for re-election alongside him, joins Democratic allies for an abortion rights rally at her alma mater, Howard University, a historically black college in Washington , DC. Howard was her first stop after announcing her own 2020 presidential bid in a televised appearance.
Other planning moves by Biden’s team came in the countdown to Tuesday morning’s announcement. NBC News reported Sunday night that Biden would appoint Julie Chavez Rodriguez as his campaign manager for 2024.
Meanwhile, NBC News reported last week that Biden’s biggest financial supporters planned to meet Friday in Washington, where his top aides will prepare the Democratic Party’s biggest donors and bundlers to bolster campaign messages and ensure allies are still always behind him.
Biden, who turns 82 weeks from Election Day and would leave office at age 86 if reelected, has called himself a “respecter of fate” when asked if he is pursuing another four-year term. At 80, he is already the oldest commander in chief, a potential challenge for voters who question his ability to handle the rigors of the job.
“The big attack on Biden will be his age and his ability,” said Jeff Link, a leading Iowa political strategist and veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns. “He has to show that he is involved and focused and works for working families. And you have to do that continuously.”
The campaign is expected to rely heavily on surrogates and digital media to reinforce Biden’s message as he pushes for a second term. Still, he brushed off concerns about his age, answering “Look at me” when asked if he was fit for office.
Biden faces other commitments entering 2024, including a sliding approval rating.
Fifty-three percent of Americans reported a favorable opinion of Biden four years ago, according to Gallup, compared to 35% who disapproved. Today, 56% of Americans disapprove of the work they do, compared to 40% who approve.
According to a new NBC News poll70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, do not want Biden to run for president in 2024. Nearly half of respondents cited age as the main reason. Only 38% of voters said they approved of his handling of the economy.
The survey shows that Biden follows a generic Republican among registered voters, 41% of whom said they would likely vote for him, compared to 47% for the GOP candidate.
Those numbers could pose an obstacle for Biden if the Republicans nominate anyone other than Trump, who remains the front-runner in the GOP nomination contest for now.
The race for campaign dollars will prove crucial in asserting Biden’s power in a potential rematch.
After announcing his 2020 re-election campaign from the White House, Trump raked in a $24.8 million fundraiser over the next 24 hours, swamping his Democratic rivals. A similar display of strength from Biden would help him assert himself as a formidable incumbent against the Republican field, which is still in sight.
Biden’s opening fundraising total in 2020 surpassed his rivals’ totals at the time and was Viewed as an important benchmark throughout his campaign.
Democrats and other voters continue to see Trump as a threat, another parallel to Biden’s winning campaign in 2020 that some expect could bolster his case heading into 2024.
“People are still concerned about the threat Trump poses,” said Link, the Iowa strategist. “Having a second Biden term is critical to making sure Trump doesn’t get back in the White House.”
It’s a call Biden recognizes, Link said, and one he can amplify among Americans who fear a second Trump term, even if they disagree on other issues.
“Biden uses that line ‘Don’t compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the alternative’, and I think that’s going to be very relevant,” Link said.
