They’re not good.
Joe Biden’s approval ratings are in the toilet, and it is very, very, very, very unlikely he’ll even run for reelection anyway.
This should not be a problem for the Democrats, but it is. Biden won the Democratic primary mainly on his perceived electability. Still, as someone who had twice run for president before with disastrous results and was basically sidelined in 2016 in favor of Hillary Clinton, Democrats never cared for Biden. Arguably, they still don’t. Most Americans don’t expect Biden to run for reelection, and nearly two-thirds don’t want him to. Between his advanced age and his poor performance as president, there are very few reasons to expect that Biden will attempt another presidential campaign.
Biden would be 81 years old on Election Day 2024. He’s already the most senior man to serve as president, and his mental health is already in doubt. Before taking office, there was ample evidence that Biden was suffering from cognitive decline. Past presidents have shown to age more rapidly during their tenure due to the high-pressure nature of the presidency, and frankly, it’s almost surprising that Biden has lasted this long. So, should Biden not run, it’ll be up to Democrat primary voters to choose who will carry the baton in the race to hold onto the White House.
And that’s where an already ugly situation for the Democrats gets even worse.
According to a new Hill-HarrisX poll, Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama are the Democrats’ top picks for 2024 should Biden not run for reelection.
Kamala Harris comes in first with 13% of those polled favoring her, while Michelle Obama got 10%. They lead the pack by a wide margin, as all other choices, including 2020 candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Michael Bloomberg, Andrew Yang, and Pete Buttigieg, got 5% or less.
One problem with this poll is that Michelle Obama has repeatedly claimed she has no interest in running for president.
“There’s zero chance,” Michelle Obama said back in 2019. “There are so many ways to improve this country and build a better world, and I keep doing plenty of them, from working with young people to helping families lead healthier lives. But sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me.”
There’s nothing ambiguous about what’s she’s said. She’s not left open the possibility of a future run. She hasn’t used language that suggests she might change her mind.
Michelle Obama isn’t going to run for president. Why would she? There’s a lot more money to be made in the private sector. Remember that book deal? So, what would she gain by running for president? The Obamas have wealth, notoriety, and influence already. While I’m sure they don’t have as much privacy as most people have, they nevertheless get to enjoy their posh lifestyle with some level of peace that they wouldn’t get during a presidential campaign.
So Michelle Obama isn’t running. Her potential candidacy is a fantasy that won’t come to fruition. But there’s another problem with this poll: Nobody likes Kamala.
Heck, Joe Biden doesn’t even like her.
Related: Kamala’s Response to the Question of Whether She Feels Underused Might Not Be What You’d Expect
Kamala Harris’s poll numbers are even worse than her those of her boss. Reports of tension between her allies and Biden’s people have been rampant in recent weeks, and there were rumors earlier this month that she might get the boot. If Kamala Harris were popular, I suspect Biden would have already been forced out to let her take over. But she’s not. No other vice president has polled as poorly as she has at this point in the term.
Let’s put this into perspective: As of right now, should Joe Biden not run, the top choices of the Democrats are the most unpopular vice president in history and the former first lady, who isn’t going to run.
That’s a terrible position for the Democrats to be in at this point. While there’s still a lot of leeway in the poll, as many haven’t made a decision yet on their 2024 preferences, with Joe Biden lacking a viable successor that Democrats support, he might be the Democrats’ best shot.
