President Joe Biden’s campaign is expected to position the 2024 election as a bigger version of the 2020 contest due to the stakes involved, according to a memo from the campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez. The memo highlights that the election will determine the fate of American democracy, justifying the Biden campaign’s strategy for a potential rematch against Republican hopeful Donald Trump. Chavez Rodriguez said that Trump’s campaign is based on revenge and retribution, at the expense of Americans’ freedoms.
The memo responds to criticisms of Biden’s age and handling of the economy and outlines a broad retort that centers on democracy, essentially de-emphasizing the economic issues that have been affecting Biden’s approval numbers. A Monmouth survey showed that Biden has record-low approval ratings, mainly due to economic issues, although the same poll showed that Republican congressional leaders had even lower ratings.
A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll this month showed that Biden is trailing Trump in all seven swing states that will determine the outcome of the election, with the majority of voters trusting Trump more on most economic issues. Issues in which the poll showed Biden had an advantage, such as Social Security, abortion, health care, and democracy, are the ones emphasized in the campaign memo.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will focus on the stakes of the election as they ramp up campaign travel in the early months of 2024. Besides, the campaign has hired crucial staff in South Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin, key states in the elections.
Chavez Rodriguez said, “We are treating this election like it will determine the fate of American democracy – because it will.” This statement seeks to underscore that the Democratic Party has high stakes in the election and that Biden and his team are preparing accordingly.
By putting democracy at the forefront of Biden’s reelection argument, the campaign hopes to appeal to voters who prioritize democracy over economic issues. The memo doesn’t outline a significant shift in messaging or strategy, rather is geared towards putting democracy center stage in Biden’s reelection bid and de-emphasizing economic issues that have weighed down his approval ratings.
