Americans Don’t Want Biden or Trump in 2024, But Will They Get Their Wish?

Despite their political differences, Americans seem to agree on one thing: they don’t want to see Joe Biden or Donald Trump on the ballot in the 2024 presidential election. Polls show that up to 70% of Americans want Biden to decline to run for reelection, while over 60% hope Trump will retire. However, primary voters in both parties seem determined to ignore the public’s wishes and nominate these unpopular figures. Biden is currently leading the Democrats’ primary by a wide margin, while Trump is winning the Republicans’ by a significant margin. Nothing seems to be able to change this, not even widespread disapproval or scandals. The parties seem to interpret popularity as weakness and competence as vapidity, and antipathy as enthusiasm. This trend is similar to what we see in many major corporations, where employees and executives focus on advancing fringe ideologies that nobody likes instead of profitability and serving their customers. The Republican Party seems determined to waste the political winds at its back by nominating an ensemble cast of strange and unlikable candidates. From the perspective of those who want to win, these decisions seem absurd and counterproductive, but winning is not the aim.