**Biden vs. Trump: The Unwanted Rematch for America’s Soul**
In what appears to be an inevitable showdown, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump are gearing up for a high-stakes rematch in the 2024 presidential election. Despite the gravity of the situation for American democracy, many voters find themselves increasingly disenchanted with the prospect of choosing between the two septuagenarian candidates.
“It’s hard to be excited about it,” remarked Keely Catron, a 22-year-old education sciences student from Arizona, a swing state narrowly won by Biden in 2020. “It’s frustrating that our only two options seem like very old white men.”
Catron’s sentiment echoes the dissatisfaction felt by a significant portion of the electorate. While she plans to cast her vote for the 80-year-old Democrat once again on November 5, 2024, her enthusiasm is notably lacking.
As Biden eyes a second term, he faces minimal competition within the Democratic party, despite consistently low approval ratings and concerns regarding his age. In contrast, Trump stands as the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination, despite being entangled in multiple criminal trials, including one related to alleged election interference.
Current polls indicate a tight race between the two candidates, with some surveys even showing Trump in the lead. The outcome of this election is deemed monumental, with some commentators likening it to the pivotal 1860 election when Abraham Lincoln’s victory triggered the US Civil War.
The United States remains deeply divided, a situation exacerbated by Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. There are apprehensions of deeper civil unrest in the upcoming election. Additionally, global observers are anxiously monitoring the situation, given the US’s crucial global role highlighted by recent international conflicts involving Israel, Hamas, and Ukraine. Meanwhile, countries like China, Russia, and Iran are redefining global power dynamics, signaling a shift away from US dominance.
Despite the critical nature of this election, a Pew Research study revealed that 63% of Americans expressed dissatisfaction with the candidates presented thus far. A significant majority, 65%, admitted feeling “always or often exhausted” when contemplating politics. Even among Democrats, more than three in five expressed a preference for a different nominee than Biden, as indicated by an ABC-Washington Post survey. Similarly, half of Biden supporters and nearly three in ten Trump supporters expressed openness to alternative candidates, according to a September Quinnipiac survey.
Both Biden and Trump, the oldest nominees in US history, have employed different strategies to rally their supporters. Biden has framed the election as a “battle for the soul of the nation” and cautioned against Trump’s “extremism,” which he believes poses a threat to American democracy. Meanwhile, Trump’s rhetoric has taken a darker turn, focusing on themes of immigration and nationalism while decrying a perceived “level of hatred” unprecedented in his experience.
Despite the lack of overwhelming popularity for either candidate, David Karol, a government and politics professor at the University of Maryland, downplayed the notion that voters are stuck with this unwanted rematch. He pointed out that alternative candidates could emerge if voters genuinely desired change. Democrats have not actively promoted alternatives to Biden, while Republicans have had opportunities to explore options like Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. Nevertheless, the party’s preference remains firmly with Trump.
Karol emphasized the significance of key issues potentially swaying the election, such as potential convictions against Trump, which could lead to a substantial shift in voter sentiment. The nation watches anxiously as the fate of American democracy hangs in the balance, awaiting the outcome of a contest that could shape the course of the country’s future.
