Usually presidential candidates seek as many on-camera appearances as possible, however, President Joe Biden's campaign is doing exactly the opposite ahead of the elections at the end of the year. The strategy is to hide the president.
Even with the press almost entirely on his side, and with most journalists celebrating the flavor of the ice cream that the president chooses on his walks instead of asking important questions, every minute Joe Biden is on camera increases the possibility that he makes a big mistake, which would confirm the suspicions of many Americans about the president's health and mental state.
Americans concerned about Biden's mental abilities
According to a survey conducted in August 2023, 77% of Americans believe that Joe Biden is too old to have another term as president. Even among Democrats, that number is still high, with 69% considering him too old to continue in office. When respondents were asked what word came to mind when thinking about Joe Biden, 26% mentioned age-related words, such as "old," and 15% referred to terms related to his mental capabilities, such as "slow," "confused" or "bumbling."
Even with a press that does not ask him anything of substance, his typical confusion, such as always being lost on stage, his speeches that are often incomprehensible, and even falls in public, are incidents that worry the majority of Americans. And that seems to be why his political strategists have been shielding him from the cameras.
Biden has given the fewest press conferences of any president since Reagan. It should further be noted that on many occasions those few press conferences end abruptly, without the president taking any questions. It also happens that his exchanges with the press are limited to confusing answers, which seem more like babbling, or to answers of two or three words.
The strategy by the president's team is not only limited to avoiding his public exchanges, but also to giving him many vacations. It seems that the Democrat needs a lot of rest. During his time as president, Biden has spent a total of 424 days on vacation. That represents 39.3% of his time in the White House, making him the president who has taken the most time off in modern history.
A long-awaited debate for Republicans
However, unless there is a surprise at the Democratic National Convention and the party decides to choose another candidate, his vacation and his absence from the cameras will have to stop, because he will have to go to at least a couple of debates and he will have to confront, most likely, Donald Trump.
The test for the current president will not be easy, If it is already difficult enough for him not to get lost on stage or not to say some incomprehensible phrase in each speech, imagine the enormous effort it will take for Biden and his team to face a debate against former President Trump, who is eager to demonstrate the Democrat's fragility and inability to have another term in office.
It will be a very unique race for the presidency. On the one hand, former President Trump will regularly be attending court and trying to defend himself against the multiple accusations against him amidst his presidential campaign. On the other, President Biden will likely continue to avoid the cameras as much as possible but will have to make a grand effort when the time comes to confront Trump face to face.
It remains to be seen if his particular strategy of hiding will work well enough for the party not to decide to replace him, perhaps with Michelle Obama, who in recent weeks has had some quite suspicious statements, ensuring that she is very concerned about the country. However, despite all the anguish that the president is generating within the Democratic Party, it is most likely that he will be confirmed as a candidate, so after the Democratic Convention, surely Americans will see how a Biden who is looking increasingly weaker and more confused will face a Trump who seems to get stronger with each new case that is opened against him.
This presidential race is very peculiar. It will undoubtedly give voters a lot to talk about and leave plenty to study for political historians.
