The perception of the president’s inability to control has been compounded by actual policy failures, in particular Israel-Gaza
With the primaries all but over, the stage is set for the general election, and one thing is clear: Joe Biden is losing. Despite the fact that Donald Trump is under indictment on 91 felony counts, is incredibly unpopular and attempted a coup at the end of his last term, he is currently in the pole position to win a second term. The stakes of this election are extraordinarily high. Still, the top-of-mind issue for voters is something Democrats can’t change and can barely hope to mitigate: Joe Biden’s age and acuity.
Polling has shown that Biden’s age and the resulting perception of confusion and incompetence are the top issues preventing voters from pulling the lever for him. The vast majority of voters believe he is too old and lacks the mental acuity to be president and should not run again. Clips of him forgetting words and seeming confused regularly play on cable news and go viral online. This was before a special counsel’s report alleged that in interviews, the president forgot when he was vice-president and even when his son Beau died of cancer. Matters were not helped by his defensive emergency press conference, which did little to assuage anyone watching of his ability to be president. This is clearly an issue for voters that will continue to grow.