Democrats 'reluctantly' supporting Biden because there's 'no other choice': Report
A recent NBC poll found 51% of Democrats don't believe Biden should run again
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democrats are "reluctantly" standing behind President Biden as their party's 2024 nominee because they feel like there's "no other choice," a Washington Post report found.
President Biden officially announced that he and Vice President Harris would seek re-election in a video released early Tuesday morning, despite a lack of support from Democratic voters.
Across the country, Democrats in battleground states vented to the paper that Biden's age and his unfulfilled promises were draining their excitement for the incumbent's re-election bid.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Across a wide range of demographic and ideological groups that make up the Democratic coalition, the reactions revealed a party accepting Biden as its standard-bearer — but only reluctantly," the report stated. "They are lukewarm about picking Biden as their nominee, but many believe he may be the best hope of preventing a second Trump term and fighting extremism."
Democrats vented to The Washington Post about Biden's age and lack of enthusiasm for him to be the 2024 nominee. ((Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images))
HUGE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS OPPOSE BIDEN RUNNING AGAIN, CITING ONE 'MAJOR' FACTOR: POLL
Voters of all ages said they worried about Biden's mental fitness as the oldest president in history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I noticed in speeches when he gets off script, then he starts to make mistakes. I am worried about his health, and I don’t know how much I like [Vice President] Kamala Harris if something happens to him," a 66-year-old retired paralegal told the Post.
Several Democrats in Biden's age range said it was time for a younger candidate.
Ann Layton, 71, believed Biden was "exactly what was needed" after President Trump, but she didn't want him to be president again. "But I wish he wouldn't run. I worry about the future of the Democratic Party," she stated.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Michael Bennett, 69, agreed that it was time for Biden to step aside. He should "go back to Delaware and play with his grandkids," the man told the paper.
Joe Biden recalls memories of his father and son, Beau, in the front seat of his vintage Corvette Stingray. (Joe Biden 2020)
BIDEN JOKES HE'S A 'VERY DULL PRESIDENT' ONLY KNOWN FOR RAY-BAN SUNGLASSES, CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM
Younger voters also questioned how Biden's age affected his capability to govern.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don’t even know if he’ll make it to 2024, like he’s just old — not even to be dark," college freshman Avery Byrnes said in the report. "I think presidents shouldn’t be older than like 70; your brain starts to go."
Another young woman worried Biden was out-of-touch with the current Democratic Party and would only hurt Democrats by running again. "The older you get, it’s almost like, the less informed you are about things," the 18-year-old claimed.
One young Democrat wondered what the president had to offer the younger generation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He likes putting on glasses and eating ice cream. Does that get people out?" asked Eli Tsarovsky, 24. "When you look at Biden, you say, ‘That’s my grandpa.’"
One young Democrat voter asked if President Biden's love of ice cream would motivate voters to come out. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Progressive activists also complained in the report that Biden hadn't done enough on climate change, immigration, voter suppression and abortion.
A Black Democratic leader in Georgia vented to the paper that Biden was hurting his ability to attract people to the party.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When activists tell you we’re having a tough time getting people to the polls, it’s because people are still pissed off — they’re pissed off and asking the question, ‘When are you going to do what you said you were going to do?’" Dontaye Carter said. "How do I go back into these neighborhoods where I told folks that this time it was going to be different and I don’t have any receipts to show the difference?"
Despite these grievances, worries about former President Trump running again fueled a reluctant acceptance that Biden was the likely nominee.
Two suburban women described wanting a "safe" president after having "PTSD" from Trump.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Biden "doesn’t energize me," Sarah Aronson said. "He’s safe, he’s safe. But I think that’s probably what we need right now. Nobody wants extreme right now."
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A new poll shows nearly 3 out of 4 Americans do not believe President Joe Biden should run for reelection.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The NBC survey published this week found only 26% of Americans support Biden. 70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, do not think Biden should run for re-election, according to the survey.
Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.