*Opinions
We haven’t even reached the quadrennial event of corn dog inhalation that is the Iowa caucus, and we already know who our candidates for president will be. A corpse who his own party doesn’t want and spray tan in human form. They still have beef from when one of them tried to overturn a fair election. Prepare yourself for a rematch of epic proportions: President Joe Biden vs former President Donald Trump.
When I say we know the candidates, I’m not being completely accurate. Neither has been officially nominated. But to put it bluntly, there doesn’t seem to be another candidate with the widespread appeal Trump and Biden have within their parties. And I’m using the term “widespread appeal” very loosely. At this point, the only way I don’t see these two in the general election is if Trump ends up in prison or Biden dies. Which I’m still not convinced would end this rematch. So what qualifications do these two titans bring to the table?
We’ll start with Biden. To sum up his presidency so far — meh. His first two years were pretty standard for a U.S. president; he under-delivered on his promises and pissed everyone off. He promised voters $2000 checks, but must have misspoken (which he does a lot) because he sent $1400 instead. He passed an infrastructure bill which was gutted by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. He pulled out of Afghanistan, a popular move, but then got awful coverage on how quickly the Taliban retook the country. With a peak approval rating of 55% in March 2021, it had dropped to about 40% by the midterms. Now, I’d say he’s a little unlucky because he does have some good accomplishments. Getting out of Afghanistan was still popular no matter how it happened, unemployment is at 3.8% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and wage growth has started to outpace inflation. The economy is looking better right now, but whether or not people will recognize it is going to be very key for Biden in 2024. Other than that, he’s just running on being better than Trump. That worked in 2020, but won’t be as effective this election since voters can now see his record as president.
Now, let’s talk about Trump. To start positively, his pull on the Republican party, even after losing the presidency, is remarkable. Usually, presidential candidates have to take a hiatus out of the sheer embarrassment of losing an election. Yet Trump hasn’t had to. This unwavering support is what got him to the White House in the first place, and will possibly get him into prison if he is convicted for events related to the storming of the Capitol, Jan. 6. As much as this support is a bonus, when one of the last things you do as president is attempt to get the election you lost overturned, and your supporters storm the Capitol, it’s not a great look. Add four indictments and your Supreme Court justices being the deciding votes for overturning Roe v. Wade, and you’d be pretty screwed. Unless you’re Trump, who seems to be unaffected. He still sits at 40% approval nationwide. Not great, but similar to Biden’s current approval of 42%. What also doesn’t seem to matter is his performance as president. It seems that when you are an entertainer like Trump, how much you tap your feet and how well you sing matters more than whether or not you know the lyrics.
This will be the first presidential election the class of 2024 can vote in, and the two candidates will have a combined age of 159 on Election Day. 159 years ago, the Civil War was still happening. When they were our age, Rock & Roll was just starting and most households had black and white TVs. As young people, we are always told that it’s important for us to vote and be engaged with politics. It’s our “civic duty.” But how am I expected to choose between candidates who aren’t supported by most Americans and are older than the Truman Doctrine? I don’t blame any young person who doesn’t feel like their voice is being heard and stays out of politics. But, things won’t change unless we take the time to be involved. If we don’t, we will keep getting elections with out-of-touch boomers (though Biden qualifies as a member of the Silent Generation). So, whether politics makes you sad, mad, glad or just bored, please put in a little effort to understand the world around you. It’s the only way things will change. As for the 2024 election, you’ve got a year until you get to vote for someone. A big orange or salt water taffy: pick one. While you’re voting, look at who’s down-ballot. There might be someone you actually like.
