The vast majority of Democratic primary voters say they would like to see President Joe Biden debate fellow Democratic candidates gunning for the presidency during the 2024 election campaign.
A USA Today/Suffolk University poll, suggests 80 percent of Democrats wish to see Biden take on challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a series of debates.
Even 72 percent of Biden supporters appeared to be in favor of the idea.
The possibility such a debate will actually take place is slim-to-none with Biden showing no interest in taking part as he calculates he has little to gain from such an encounter.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has also stated that it will not sponsor any debates.
The overwhelming majority of Democratic primary voters say they would like to see debates between President Joe Biden and his fellow Democratic candidates
About 80% of Democrats expressed their desire to see Biden engage in debates with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pictured, who is challenging Biden’s nomination
Among Democrats surveyed in the recent poll, 58 percent support Biden for the nomination, while 15 percent back Kennedy
Such positions are typical when a president is running for a second term in office with incumbents from both sides of the aisle tending to avoid televised debates.
‘As you know, no incumbent R [Republican] or D [Democrat] have done debates,’ Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, said to USA Today.
In 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter did not debate Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
It is Kennedy’s nephew, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 69, who is now mounting a challenge to Biden that has limited chances of success.
Kennedy is an ex-environmental lawyer who has in the past promoted conspiracy theories about the safety of FDA-approved vaccines.
‘The decision not to debate is ignoring the 82% of women, 84% of union households, 86% of independents, and 90% of young voters who are not only planning to vote in their state’s Democratic primary or caucus next year but also would like to see a series of Democratic primary debates,’ said David Paleologos, director of Suffolk’s Political Research Center who carried out the poll.
The feverish anticipation for a face-off is evident on social media. One user said it ‘would be comedy gold,’ given Biden’s unconventional opponents. Others bashed a selection process that was ‘rigged’ and ‘anti-democratic.’
While Biden’s nomination has not faced significant threats, the poll highlights the importance of consolidating and energizing the Democratic base.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) waves to the crowd at his 2024 campaign kick-off alongside his wife actress Cheryl Hines (right), of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame
Nearly three quarters of voters want to see Biden get on stage with his long shot Democratic challengers
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) is photographed as a child with his uncle, President John F. Kennedy (left)
Campaign memorabilia for Robert F. Kennedy Jr is seen being sold during his campaign launch
Among Democrats surveyed, 58 percent support Biden for the nomination, while 15 percent back Kennedy and 6 percent support Marianne Williamson. A further 21 percent of those responding remain undecided.
Neither candidate is likely to win the Democratic nomination, with party apparatchiks rallying around Biden and trying to prevent a proper primary challenge.
Biden would be 86 at the end of his second term if he wins next year’s presidential contest.
During the 2020 election, in the absence of an incumbent Democratic president, Biden participated in 11 debates sanctioned by the DNC throughout the primary season.
A televised Democratic primary debate in 2020. No incumbent president has taken part in a primary debate in decades, even when facing a well-known challenger
Biden fell at an event in Colorado earlier this month, sparking fresh concerns about his health
Kennedy, meanwhile, the son of Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and well known anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist has expressed disappointment that any such debates do not appear to be on the horizon.
The former environmental lawyer is also being advised by ex-Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who ran for the White House himself in 2004 and 2008.
Kennedy, who is pro-choice has tried to court centrist voters with promises of border security.
He portrays himself as the only viable left-of-center alternative to the aging and gaffe-prone commander-in-chief.
Questions about Biden’s fitness for office have been raised once more after he tumbled at an Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado on June 1.
Biden’s loyalists have long dismissed discussions about the president’s health as a baseless smear cooked up by conservatives.
