For a newspaper that strongly advocated for Joe Biden's candidacy in 2020, and didn't confirm the authenticity of Biden's “laptop from hell” until one year after Biden became president, The Times has turned extremely anti-Biden. The complaints have ranged from Biden's inability to react to mass shootings as well as recently issued Supreme Court rulings, to stories about Biden's aging and the lack of Democrat support.
First:
On June 11th, Reid J. Epstein and Jennifer Medina of the Times published an article titled “Should Biden Run in 2024? Democratic Votes for ‘No' start to rise.” The piece aimed at Biden by making clear Democrats discontent and doubt about “the Biden's capacity to save his party from its shaky state and bring his fight directly to Republicans”:
In the middle of the 2022 primary season, a number of Democratic members and leaders are expressing their anger at President Biden's efforts to implement the majority of his agenda, and are doubting his capacity to save the party from its predicted midterm loss and are increasingly looking at Biden as an anchor who is due to be released in 2024.
As the problems confronting the nation grow and tired base voters display lack of motivation, Democrats in union meetings and the back rooms in Capitol Hill and party gatherings across the nation are silently worried about Biden's leadership abilities, his age, and his ability to stand up to the former president Donald J. Trump a second time.
Interviews with over 50 Democratic officials from county officials to members of Congress to dissatisfied voters who supported Biden in 2020, expose a Democratic party concerned over Republicans growing power and apprehensive regarding the immediate direction to take.
Second:
On June 27th The Times' Jonathan Martin and Zolan Kanno-Youngs penned the piece that was titled “Biden Irked by Democrats Who Won't Take ‘Yes' for an Answer on 2024.” The report was focused upon the White House trying to “tamp down speculation about plans to seek re-election, while aides say President Biden is bristling at the persistent questions”:
Biden has been eager to show his loyalty -however, it’s been sporadic and infrequent. With the growing doubts about his ability to run for reelection at the age of 80, the president and his top aides are irritated by questions regarding his plans, and irritated by the perceived disrespectful attitude from the political party and the media and are determined to shut down any notions that he's an unpopular candidate one year and a half into his presidency.
Biden isn't just intending to run for office, his aides claim, but he's creating the foundations by building resources with the Democratic National Committee, restocking his operations in battleground states, and hoping to use his influence to influence the process of nomination to his advantage.
This story about Mr. Biden's preparations for the next election and his growing frustration with the doubts of his party is from interviews with a variety of people who regularly communicate with the president. The majority of them spoke under the condition of anonymity. Some said the president and his circle were confused by Democrats discussing the need for a Plan B when the one person who beat Donald J. Trump has declared that he will run again.
Third:
On June 28th, Times writer Shane Goldmacher penned an article that was titled “Democrats Press the White House for a More Assertive Response to Roe's Fall.” The article lambasted Biden for his “painfully inadequate” response to the ruling of Roe v. Wade:
President Biden and the Democratic leadership were given several months of preparation for the end of Roe v. Wade, and even after the release of a draft ruling during May, they still had weeks to devise concrete plans to thwart a previously unimaginable outcome that seemed to be inevitable.
But when Republicans celebrated the end of a meticulous fifty-year campaign to overturn the right to abortion in America, the initial reaction by the President and his party were calls to vote and demands for contributions.
“It didn't seem like there was a game plan,” said Nina Smith, a Democratic strategist.
Fourth:
On July 7th, Times writer Frank Bruni wrote an opinion article entitled “Joe Biden Had Better Pay Attention.” The article focused on Biden's lack of reaction to the violence of gun owners in the city of Democrat-controlled Chicago; however, the newspaper was given an excuse to criticize Biden for his “crisis of confidence around” Biden's presidency:
If November 2022 wasn't cause for Democrats enough angst, then November 2024 is going to be the next. Biden's age, low approval rating, and apparent inability to build confidence within the ranks of the Democratic Party have created an unprecedented situation in which there's no certainty that he'll seek an additional term, and there's the consensus that Biden should run and a growing list of Democrats whose behavior could be seen as preparation for a contest or take over for Biden. I've never experienced anything like it.
The president has slowed down since his election — it's undisputed. The lack of confidence surrounding him makes for a tough context to launch a campaign for another term. If this makes him hesitate and he's uncertain to say the least, then he ought to declare as soon after the midterm elections as it is possible to ensure the likes of Pritzker, Newsom, Kamala Harris or any other notable Democrats will have plenty of time to argue for running against him.
The act of pointing out Biden's weaknesses and listing his shortcomings is one thing and could be considered constructive in the sense that it directs him and his administration in the direction of corrective measures. But the type of second-guessing, contingency planning, and garment rending that a lot of Democrats are currently engaging in is a different matter. This could spell Biden's fate as well as that of the party.
Fifth:
On July 9th, Times' Peter Baker wrote an article that read “At 79, Biden Is Testing the Boundaries of Age and the Presidency.” The article attacked the president over Biden's “plans to run for a second term” as “his age has become an uncomfortable issue for him and his party”:
In just a year and quarter into the first year of his term, former vice president Biden is already more than an entire year younger then Ronald Reagan was at the close of his two-terms. If he decides to run again in 2024, Mr. Biden would be asking for the nation to choose the next president, who will have reached 86 at the conclusion of his presidency. The polls show that a majority of Americans believe Biden is too old, and certain Democratic strategists aren't convinced that he is a good candidate.
It's not surprisingly one of the most sensitive topics within this part of the West Wing. Through interviews with reporters, some of which were sanctioned in White House officials and some not, over a dozen former and present senior officials and advisors stated that Biden remained intellectually engaged in asking intelligent questions during meetings, examining aides over issues of disagreement, as well as calling them at night, and pointing out the weak spot on page 14 of the memo, and writing speeches similar to his statement on Friday regarding abortion to the very last minute.
However, they recognize Biden's age. Biden looks older than just two years ago. This is a major problem that can't be resolved with traditional White House stratagems like staff changes or new communication plans. His energy, though impressive for a man his age, isn't as high as it once was and some aides watch out for Biden. He is known to shuffle when walking, and the aids fear he might slip on wires. He makes mistakes with words at public gatherings, and people wait to see if he can make it through without a lapse.
Sixth:
On July 11th, The Times' Shane Goldmacher wrote an article that was a second one of negatives about Biden with the title “Most Democrats Don't Want Biden in 2024, New Poll Shows.” The report detailed a Times/Siena College poll, which found that just one percent of voters consider Biden's economy as being excellent. The article also pointed out that only a only a few Democrats like Biden:
President Biden faces an alarming amount of doubt within his own party as 64 percent of Democratic voters say that they would prefer a different candidate during the 2024 presidential election, according to a New York Times/Siena college survey. Across the nation, voters are dissatisfied with Biden's leadership style, giving him an unsatisfactory 33 percent job approval rating.
Just thirteen percent of American voters believed the country is on the right path — which was the lowest figure on Times surveys since the height of the crisis over 10 years back.
Mr. Biden has said repeatedly that he plans to run for reelection in 2024. He is already the most senior president of American history. Concerns regarding his age are as the top priority on the list of Democratic voters who are looking to look for a new alternative.
