A liberal organization focused on stopping President Biden from seeking a second term is running ads in three more states calling on him to exit stage left ahead of the 2024 election.
The “Don’t Run Joe” campaign from RootsAction.org, which backed Sen. Bernard Sanders’ presidential bid in 2020, is expanding its TV ads into three states — Georgia, Michigan and South Carolina — expected to host early primary contests in 2024.
“On behalf of most Democrats as well as our party’s activist base, we are strongly urging President Biden not to seek renomination,” said Pia Gallegos, board chairwoman of RootsAction.org.
Mr. Biden, who turned 80 in November, has indicated he plans to run again and he will make his intentions clear early next year.
Mr. Biden got a bounce out of the 2022 midterm elections after Democrats surpassed expectations by defending the Senate, and cutting their losses in a GOP takeover of the House. He touted it as another rebuke of Trump-inspired Republicanism, and the bogus “rigged election” charge.
Still, polls show a lot of Democrats are not enamored with the idea of Mr. Biden running in 2024.
A Yahoo! News Survey of U.S. adults released this month found 55% of respondents said “No” when asked whether Mr. Biden should seek reelection, compared to 22% of voters who said “Yes” and 23% who were “No Sure.”
The biggest concern is that he will be too old, according to the poll that showed 31% of Democrats, 65% of independents and 78% of Republicans said “No.”
RootsAction.org is trying to tap into that sentiment. The reason behind their push is twofold: stop the GOP from winning the White House and advancing “a truly progressive agenda.”
Mr. Biden, according to the group, is simply not inspiring and is too moderate.
In the ad, people warn Democratic voters that nominating “status quo Joe” will jeopardize the party’s chances of defending the White House. They lament that the party’s ideas are more popular than Mr. Biden.
“With his low popularity, it is way too much of a gamble,” a woman says in the ad.
It also features voters plugging liberal ideas, demanding more action on climate change and promoting universal health care.
The group aired ads last month in New Hampshire, typically home to the first-in-the-nation primary. “We can’t afford to lose,” another voter says in the ad. “Don’t run, Joe.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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