Joe Biden’s age and what was seen as a poor performance in last week’s debate appear to be significant problems for him in Iowa.
A Suffolk University/USA Today poll of likely Iowa Democratic caucus voters released Thursday found that a third of those who do not support Biden cite the former vice president’s 76 years, lack of fresh ideas, or other reasons relating to Biden’s long political career as reasons for spurning him.
Some 36.7% cited age-related reasons. 15.2% said that Biden was too old or that they want a younger candidate, 7.5% said that they want someone new/fresh ideas, 7.2% said that Biden should “pass the torch” or that he had his time, 4.8% said that they want diversity or that Biden is old school, and 2.1% said he was out of touch.
50% said that Kamala Harris did better than expected in the debates while 41.24% said that Biden did worse than expected.
In the pivotal moment of the two debate nights, California Sen. Kamala Harris turned on Biden for working with segregationist senators in the 1970s and opposing the busing policy of forced desegregation. Citing her own experience as a six-year-old black girl who was bused to a white school, she said, “That little girl was me.”
The poll showed that Harris has shot up in popularity since the debate while Biden, though he still leads, has sunk.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell, age 38 and the third-youngest presidential candidate in the race, attacked Biden’s age on the Democratic debate stage last week.
“I was six-years-old when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic Convention and said it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans,” Swalwell said. “That candidate was then-Sen. Joe Biden. Joe Biden was right when he said that 32 years ago. He is still right today. If we are going to solve the issue of automation, pass the torch. If we are going to solve climate chaos, pass the torch.” Biden replied, “I’m still holding on to that torch.”
Democratic voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, including some at his campaign events, have told the Washington Examiner that they prefer a candidate significantly younger than Biden.
“I don’t want to go for somebody older that I am,” retired Iowa resident Craig Harris, 71, told the Washington Examiner between presidential campaign events for New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar in May.
Biden led the pack of Democratic presidential hopefuls in the poll, garnering 24% support. Harris was not far behind at 16%, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was in third place at 13%.
The poll surveyed 500 likely Democratic caucus-goers from Friday through Monday following the first round of Democratic presidential primary debates.
