Dozens of Democrats – officials, members of Congress, and voters – are whispering hope President Joe Biden will not run in 2024, because they fear he cannot rescue a sinking ship.
"Democrats are like, 'What the hell is going on?'" Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat Texas state representative, who is likely to head to Congress next year, told the Times. "Our country is completely falling apart. And so I think we're lacking in the excitement."
Democrats are frustrated with Biden's inability to pass his agenda before a midterm that might flip congressional majorities back to Republicans, The New York Times reported from interviews with nearly 50 Democrats.
"To say our country was on the right track would flagrantly depart from reality," a Democratic National Committee member Steve Simeonidis of Miami told the Times.
Biden "should announce his intent not to seek reelection in '24 right after the midterms."
While it was not a concern in 2020, Biden's age – 79 now and 82 when the 2024 election winner will be inaugurated – is now the biggest concern as the White House has had to walk back remarks at times and his verbal hiccups tend to make headline news, according to the report.
"The presidency is a monstrously taxing job and the stark reality is the president would be closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term, and that would be a major issue," two-time strategist for former President Barack Obama, David Axelrod told the Times.
"He looks his age and isn't as agile in front of a camera as he once was, and this has fed a narrative about competence," Axelrod added.
Making matters worse, potentially, is Vice President Kamala Harris has had her own hiccups that do not lead to confidence among Democrats.
"Democrats need fresh, bold leadership for the 2024 presidential race," Democratic National Committee member and lawyer from Durham, North Carolina, Shelia Huggins told the Times. "That can't be Biden."
Even the younger Democrat candidates lack inspiration for long-time party establishment members.
"The generation after me is just a complete trash heap," Howard Dean, 73, a former Vermont governor and DNC chairman, told the Times.