Checks and Balance: Park the bench

There’s been no official announcement, but the mood music suggests Joe Biden will seek a second term. If he does run in 2024, and if he wins, he would be 86 by the time he leaves office. Part of Biden’s appeal in 2020 was his electability, but that seems less assured now. Are Democrats making a mistake by not looking elsewhere? The Economist’s Elliott Morris considers what the polls tell us about Biden’s popularity.  We go back to the last time a president chose not to seek reelection.  And Democratic strategist Lis Smith assesses the strength of the Democratic bench.John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.Do you have a question for the Checks and Balance team?  Email us at [email protected] with “Checks Q&A” in the subject line and we’ll answer it in a special upcoming episode. You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.