Liberal writer Jonathan Chait panics over Biden's re-election hopes: 'Anything but a safe choice'

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Liberal New York Magazine columnist Jonathan Chait sounded the alarm on Democrats and their support for President Biden on Thursday, writing that the situation was looking "dire."

Chait said the president was anything but a "safe choice," given his low approval ratings.

"In 2020, Biden was a comforting callback to the popular Obama presidency. He had the ability to attract even voters concerned about the Democrats’ leftward drift. But whatever positive differentiation he had then has been swamped by disapproval of his job performance. At the moment, he is anything but a safe choice," Chait wrote. 

Chait cited a Politico column by Jonathan Martin, who argued that Biden hasn't done enough to curb voter concern about his age.

Liberal New York Magazine columnist Jonathan Chait wrote that President Biden's re-election bid was beginning to look "dire."  (Left: (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Time Inc), Right: (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images))

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One Democratic lawmaker told Martin that a primary challenge would be a positive thing and suggested the party was ignoring voter concerns.

"Only positive things could come from an open and competitive primary in the presidential election. It is a detriment to all of us if we are ignoring the concerns of the public around the president’s image," Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., said. 

Chait described a primary challenge as a "high-stakes bet." 

"Running a primary challenge against Biden is a high-stakes bet. The risks are large: A defeated challenger could possibly hurt Biden and probably damage their own viability. But a defeated challenger could also give Biden the chance to prove his ability to handle a rigorous campaign. And a successful challenger could rescue the party from the worst possible outcome," he wrote. 

President Joe Biden walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on August 11, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Martin's reporting also reveled that the president's biggest supporters would "nervously wonder" if they would look back and realize that Biden was too old for a second term, which Chait described as the "most chilling" part. 

"In their more honest moments, even the most dedicated Biden defenders not on his payroll will nervously wonder if in the future they’ll look back at this moment and realize that the electorate had concluded he was too old for another term — and he ignored the flashing red lights to barrel ahead anyway," Martin wrote.

Chait said Democrats' hesitancy to support a primary challenge was rooted in fear and self-interest. 

According to Politico's Jonathan Martin, President Biden needs to do more to convince voters his age is not an issue for his re-election.  (Screenshot/CNN)

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