Will Biden's courtship of seniors make a difference in November?
The president is losing ground with young voters, but working to make it up with people closer to his age
President Joe Biden is just months away from his electoral rematch with former President Donald Trump, and he's looking to woo a group of voters he knows well: seniors. At 81, Biden's age remains a key factor heading into November, and most data shows that his electoral base has seemingly flipped from the 2020 election; while Biden garnered large swaths of the youth vote four years ago, it is now the elderly that are supporting him in greater numbers.
Three seniors groups have endorsed Biden for president, and the White House has officially launched its Seniors for Biden-Harris coalition. First reported by NBC News, this coalition will be a "national organizing initiative to leverage what it sees as key advantages among those voters," with events including postcard writing, bingo nights and pickleball tournaments. First lady Dr. Jill Biden and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff are among those pushing the initiative.
With Biden and Trump nearly neck-and-neck in most polls, the question remains: Will the president's appeal to seniors put him over the edge at the ballot box? Or will it end up making little headway for his reelection efforts?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What did the commentators say?
Age is an "unmistakable part of the bitterly contested race for the White House," said Jeff Zeleny and Eric Bradner for CNN. But while the Biden campaign has long attempted to paint the president in a more youthful light, it is "suddenly embracing age in a different way by turning to seniors … to build a critical piece of his coalition." While "other parts of the Biden coalition are fraying, the campaign is putting a renewed focus on seniors to volunteer and vote," and the "contrast with Trump is what the Biden campaign is investing millions on television ads targeting some favorite programs of seniors, including 'Wheel of Fortune' and the local news."
Biden's ability to court seniors is key because "Americans ages 65 and older turn out at significantly higher rates than younger voters do, giving them outsize clout as they choose this year" between Biden and Trump, said Ken Thomas and Dante Chinni for The Wall Street Journal. But Biden remains steadily in the lead with seniors for now, which "has a few possible explanations: The president has been performing well among Americans who are closely monitoring the election, giving him an advantage with seniors who actively consume cable television and news coverage in their retirement." Additionally, "some polling has shown seniors with more favorable views of Biden's handling of the economy."
Another notable factor is that today's seniors grew up in the 1960s and include "those who marched against the war and fought for women's rights, civil rights and environmental protection," Jacob Geanous and Jonathan D. Salant said for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Traditionally, older voters "had come of age in the post-World War II economic boom under two-term GOP President Dwight Eisenhower." But new seniors are "more inclined to vote Democratic than other older voters. The seniors are more Democratic as the baby boomers fill out the senior ranks," Bob Ward, a partner at the polling firm Fabrizio Ward, said to the Post-Gazette.
In reality, though, a "feeling of dramatic movement among older voters toward Biden may be overstated," Matt Grossmann, the director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University, said to the Journal. Instead, it "may be that older voters don't seem to be moving toward Trump while other groups are." While polling provides a snapshot, it is "hard to compare changes in voting habits among age groups over time" across multiple election cycles. But "one hypothesis for why older voters look more likely to support Biden may be that older voters are less concerned about Biden's age."
What next?
If seniors vote as expected in November, the election "between two historically old candidates would upend long-held assumptions about how Americans vote," said Axios. This rings especially true given that "preserving democracy has emerged as one of the clearest dividing lines between younger and older voters."
Meanwhile, Jill Biden and Emhoff are both busy on their aforementioned campaign stops to woo seniors. During these events, the pair are trying to highlight the "work of the Biden-Harris administration to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare," said the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 20, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Secret Service flaws, weather control, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 cartoon critiques of the Kamala Harris media blitz
Cartoons Artists take on 60 surrealist minutes, word salad, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Did the Covid virus leak from a lab?
The Explainer Once dismissed as a conspiracy theory, the idea that Covid-19 originated in a virology lab in Wuhan now has many adherents
By The Week UK Published
-
Is 2024 the podcast election?
Today's Big Question The Trump and Harris campaigns are turning to alternative media to reach voters
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets profane at Catholic charity dinner
Speed Read The Republican nominee mocked Kamala Harris, her husband, her running mate, President Joe Biden and other Democrats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Second Amendment enthusiast Trump has little new to say on guns
The Explainer Trump opposes a ban on assault weapons and strengthening background checks, but supports teachers carrying weapons in school
By David Faris Published
-
'The next US president should rethink the program in its entirety'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames migrants for the housing crisis. Experts aren't so sure.
Talking Points Migrants need housing. They also build it.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Will Kamala Harris be a climate champion?
The Explainer How the vice president would tackle one of humanity's biggest challenges if elected
By David Faris Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published