Biden went to Florida to get voter support
2023.02.09 15:04
Biden went to Florida to get voter support
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – In an effort to reclaim the battleground state that has shifted to Republicans in recent years, U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to Florida on Thursday in an effort to position his Democratic party as the sole defenders of Medicare and Social Security.
Following the president’s State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, Biden’s trip is part of a blitz to at least 20 states by the president and Cabinet members.
As top aides and Democratic strategists debate how seriously Biden should campaign in Florida, he has been getting ready to run for reelection.
Barack Obama was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Florida in 2012.
In the race for the Republican nomination in the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are early favorites. In Florida, neither candidate would be ahead of Biden on home turf.
Despite this, Biden is of the opinion that the state, where one in five people live, could benefit from his policies. According to polls, Democrats are thought to be more likely to defend the Medicare and Social Security programs, which provide retirees with health insurance and a basic income.
In the course of negotiations regarding raising the $31.4 trillion debt limit for the United States, Biden has attempted to link Republicans to the idea of cutting funding for both programs.
The Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, has stated numerous times that his party will not attempt to reduce the two largest benefit programs in the country.
Karine Jean-Pierre, a spokesperson for the White House, told reporters on Thursday that they have the “receipts” indicating that Republican proposals to cut the programs have been presented.
She stated, “Republicans in the House and Senate have said that they want to sunset these two programs and have put forth plans on how to do that.” She was referring to the plans that they have presented.
When Biden stated that some hardline conservatives want to abolish Social Security and Medicare, he drew boos from Republicans in his State of the Union address. He then stated that he interpreted their response as an agreement to safeguard the programs.
“So, folks, we seem to all agree that Medicare and Social Security are no longer in existence, right? Okay, thanks. “We are unanimous,” Biden stated. Conversion is fun for me.”
In the event that the programs begin to run out of money, which is anticipated as early as 2028 for Medicare’s hospitalization benefits, the White House has not provided a comprehensive strategy for how to maintain their funding.
Florida, the third most populous state in the United States, was long considered a crucial battleground state in presidential elections.
However, Democrats have had trouble there in recent contests, and DeSantis won a second term as governor by nearly 20 percentage points the year before.
A senior Democrat told Reuters at a recent party conference in Philadelphia, “There is no reason at this point to devote national resources into Florida in 2024.”
At the beginning of January, amid growing calls for his removal, Florida Democratic Party chair Manny Diaz abruptly resigned from his position. Biden has stated that he intends to run for reelection, and it is anticipated that he will formally launch his bid in the coming weeks. Democrats are scheduled to find a replacement this month.
According to people who are familiar with her thinking, Jen O’Malley Dillon, a senior aide who ran Biden’s 2020 campaign and is anticipated to play a key role in his next, does not consider Florida to be crucial for Biden’s victory in 2024 and has preferred to concentrate more on Arizona and Georgia, states that have become more favorable to Democrats.
Steve Schale, a Florida Democratic operative and ally of Joe Biden who ran Obama’s 2008 campaign in the state, acknowledged that he comprehends the difficulties facing the party in Florida.
“When you start ceding states in which you have won three of the last six elections, is that smart?” is my concern. “Said Schale.” Florida ought to be the subject of a more in-depth discussion, but I am aware of the realities of the map for 2024.
