Do you want to see Joe Biden and Donald Trump take each other on for president just one more time? If so, you appear to be in the minority.
A new Post/ABC News poll shows that a majority of Democrats what someone other than Joe Biden to run for president in 2024, and more Republicans want someone other than Trump than those Republicans who do.
We can dream, I suppose.
Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, the Post-ABC poll finds 58 percent say they would prefer someone other than Biden as their nominee in 2024 — almost double the 31 percent who support Biden. That is statistically unchanged since last September.
Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 49 percent say they prefer someone other than Trump as their nominee in 2024, compared with 44 percent who favor the former president. That too is statistically unchanged from last September.
More than 6 in 10 Americans (62 percent) say they would be “dissatisfied” or “angry” if Biden were reelected in 2024, while 56 percent say the same about the prospect of Trump returning to the White House for a second time.
Slightly more than one-third (36 percent) say they would be “enthusiastic” or “satisfied but not enthusiastic” if Biden were reelected while 43 percent say the same about a possible Trump victory in 2024. But negative sentiment is also notable. More than one-third (36 percent) say they would be angry if Trump wins while 30 percent say that about a Biden victory. Fewer than 2 in 10 are enthusiastic about Trump (17 percent), and just 7 percent are enthusiastic about Biden.
What is fascinating about this, as the Washington Post points out, is that this is all relatively unchanged since the midterms. Especially for Joe Biden, who is the first president in a very, very long time who has had such a successful midterm cycle. The fact that his party exceeded expectations and actually increased his margins in the Senate while mitigating losses in the House appears to not be making much of an impression on voters.
That’s not a very good sign a year from the presidential primary season. And the fact that Biden still hasn’t formally launched his re-election campaign, and appears to be indecisive on the issue, should also be of concern to Democrats.
As far as Trump goes, we knew heading into this year that it was going to be a tough run for him, as there are several Republicans who appear to want to take up the mantle of party leader. He’s showing stronger support among his party than Biden is with the Democrats. That is a massive red flag (for both parties, depending on who you talk to), but the bottom line is that there are two really old white dudes who want to be president as of 2025, and the American public does not seem to be excited about it.