Joe Biden has launched his 2024 presidential campaign. The president made the announcement via a video and added to a Democratic primary that already had two other candidates: Marianne Williamson and
Robert Kennedy Jr. Despite the refusal of the Democratic leadership, Kennedy called for a debate with the president, something that is apparently in line with the opinion of the majority of voters.
A poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that 79% of those who supported Biden in 2020 want to see him debate against other Democrats heading into 2024, according to Newsweek. The poll was conducted on April 30 among 1,500 eligible voters.
Among those polled, 68% said the Democratic Party should hold televised debates between the candidates, while 15% disagreed and the remaining 17% were undecided. The figure was even higher among those who voted for the president three years ago. Among them, 79% supported a debate compared to 11% who said no and 10% who did not know.
On the other side of the aisle, Donald Trump's 2020 voters also called for internal debates. Seventy-nine percent were in favor, 12% were against and the remaining 9% were purely undecided. During the 2020 Democratic primaries, in which Biden himself competed against more than 25 candidates, a total of 11 debates were organized. Of course, the high number has to do with the fact that it was an open primary.
Robert Kennedy Jr. wants to debate Joe Biden
The Democratic candidate is polling at 20% in some polls and wants to be able to exchange ideas live with the president. "I look forward to engaging him in debates and town hall meetings, in a primary election that is honest, civil, and transparent. I invite him into a new era of respectful dialog in these times of division," he wrote in a tweet after launching his candidacy.
The Democrat insisted on this idea during a recent interview with Michael Smerconishfor CNN. Specifically, he called for "debates" because they reinforce "electoral integrity" and the idea of democracy.
"I think he [Biden] has an obligation to democracy to debate anyway. I would hope that he does but I mean, you are a lawyer and I’m a lawyer, there’s no legal obligation that the president has. I can’t sue him for it. It’s a decision by the party and I would hope that would put democracy with treasure and value," the candidate added.
