Democrats say Biden needs a strong midterm if he hopes to run for a secod term
by Amie Parnes 09/21/22 6:00 AM ET
Democrats say President Biden’s surprise declaration this week that it “remains to be seen” if he will launch another White House bid in 2024 is a sign that his political prospects largely hang on one thing: the midterm elections.
If Democrats have a strong performance in the midterms, Biden will have more leverage to mount a run for another four years in the White House.
But if the party loses the House and Senate majorities, Biden could feel obliged to step aside, they say.
“If we don’t do well, I think the pressure will be on to turn the page,” one Democratic strategist said. “I think he’s aware of this … it’s a big test for him.”
“He needs the midterms to go moderately well,” one former Obama administration official said.
In an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday night, Biden gave a murkier reply than usual when asked about his plans to run again.
“Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again,” Biden said in the interview. “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”
The president went on to say that he is “a great respecter of fate.”
“… What I’m doing is, I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job,” he continued. “And within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year make a judgment on what to do.”
Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, said the assumption should be that Biden is in fact running for reelection.
Still, he said, “I do think the midterms will play a big role in shaping the Democratic discussion about 2024.“
“An unexpectedly strong showing will bolster support for staying the course. A terrible outcome will generate more pressure to at least consider the possibility of a primary challenge and, within the White House, of not running,” Zelizer added.
Some Democrats believe that if Republicans were to win one or both chambers of Congress, it would actually serve Biden’s interests.
Democratic strategist Eddie Vale described it as “bad for passing bills and a normal functioning democracy,” before adding: “It’s an incredible foil for Biden 2024.”
“He gets to start wielding his Dark Brandon executive order pen to keep getting shit done to actually help people while Republicans will be shutting down the government, banning abortion and launching insane tinfoil hat conspiracy investigations,” Vale added, referencing a variation of the phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which conservatives have used to criticize Biden.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3652685-democrats-say-biden-needs-a-strong-midterm-to-run-for-reelection/
