President Joe Biden secured his second consecutive Democratic nomination on Tuesday, setting up a likely rematch with his predecessor, whom he holds responsible for the country’s instability. Biden came to office hoping to stabilize a country rocked by the coronavirus pandemic and the Jan. 6 uprising.
Biden secured enough delegates in Georgia to be his party’s presumed nominee. In the race for the majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August, where Joe Biden’s nomination will be formally announced, that moved his tally past 1,968. Donald Trump, the former president, is anticipated to secure the Republican nomination soon.
Biden faced no significant Democratic opponents
When Biden filed for reelection at the age of 81, he faced no significant Democratic opponents. Biden launched his first presidential campaign 37 years ago. This is true even though his age is a contributing factor in the low approval ratings and lackluster support from voters for his presidency.
According to a recent survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, just 38% of American adults approve of how Biden is handling his role as president, while 61% disapprove.
In spite of their reservations, Biden and his allies are wagering that during the brutal seven-and-a-half month general election, his Democratic base and independent voters terrified of a second Trump presidency will support him. Their persistent focus on Trump’s alleged flaws, along with Trump’s intention to make harsh personal attacks on Biden, set the stage for a lackluster campaign that many Americans claimed they didn’t want but which they will still have to vote on in November.
Biden has made an effort to portray the contest as a struggle for freedom on both home and international fronts. He draws a comparison between Trump’s praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his suggestion that he would order Russia to attack NATO allies he deems delinquent, as well as his support for Ukraine and his efforts to expand NATO.
“We face a sobering reality,” Biden said in a statement Tuesday upon clinching the nomination. “Freedom and democracy are at risk here at home in a way they have not been since the Civil War. Donald Trump is running a campaign of resentment, revenge, and retribution that threatens the very idea of America.”
He added, “I believe that the American people will choose to keep us moving into the future.”