Political statistician Nate Silver joined the ranks of strategists expressing doubt about President Joe Biden‘s re-election bid for the 2024 presidential election.
What Happened: In a long Substack newsletter, Silver, the founder of the data-centric platform FiveThirtyEight, contended that if Biden is unable to conduct a “typical” reelection campaign, he should consider “stepping aside” and making way for other Democratic candidates.
"Democrats would be taking a huge risk by replacing Biden — but they're also taking a huge risk by nominating him," Silver wrote.
"If Biden can't keep up with the schedule of a typical sitting president running for re-election, or is prone to making errors when he does, voters and the media are going to notice that and Biden will wear his 80+ years like an albatross around his neck," he added.
“It would be extremely foolish to nominate an 80-year-old man who is not up to the rigors of a modern presidential campaign — even more foolish than replacing him, which just to be clear is also an extremely foolish thing to do.”
Why It Matters: The remarks from Silver, who has previously expressed reservations about Biden’s political outlook, coincide with efforts by Team Biden to address internal concerns and media criticism regarding the president’s age, physical fitness, and electoral chances against former President Donald Trump.
Last week, former Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod also faced criticism from Biden allies for his social media comments questioning Biden’s suitability as the Democratic leader. Axelrod later walked back his statements, clarifying that "it's overreacting to say I told him to drop out."
Meanwhile, Biden camp and its supporters have also urged caution when interpreting early election polls, pointing to the unpredictability of election results.
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