Frank's Musings

What is holding back qualified middle-aged Democrats from nudging aside Joe Biden? They all must share the foot-tapping impatience uncovered in recent polls of likely 2024 voters. Despite general satisfaction with Biden’s first term performance, likely Democratic voters are not confident that the executive branch will be mastered as well by a President who enters his mid-eighties in age. Nevertheless, few Democrats have staked a claim on the 2024 nomination.

There surely remains enough time to initiate a Presidential campaign, particularly for prospective candidates with proven governmental experience and accomplishments. Some of the most likely replacements for Biden include the following:

Gretchen Whitmer

Gavin Newsom

Pete Buttigieg

Josh Shapiro

Kamala Harris

Cory Booker

L.B. Pritzker

Any of them would have to begin raising funds, brush up their international visibility with foreign travel, meet with state and local party leaders around the country, register for the leading primary elections and, of course, mount a serious media blitz. If any of them hasn’t already done so, they also must speak with Biden and express their intentions.

The more numerous they become, the more likely Joe Biden, a consummate “reader of the room,” will decide that backing strong new names on his party’s ticket is the best and surest way for him to help save American democracy.