Biden to appeal to seniors in bid to put Florida back in play
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[February 09, 2023]
By Jarrett Renshaw and Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Florida
on Thursday to push his argument that only Democrats will protect Social
Security and Medicare, and try to boost his chances of winning the
battleground state that has moved to Republicans in recent years.
Biden's trip is part of a blitz to at least 20 states by the president
and members of his Cabinet following his State of the Union speech to
Congress on Tuesday.
It also comes as Biden prepares to launch his re-election bid and as top
aides and Democratic strategists debate how seriously he should campaign
in Florida.
The last Democratic presidential candidate to win in Florida was Barack
Obama in 2012.
Both former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are
early favorites in the fight for the Republican nomination at the next
presidential election in 2024, and both would have a home field
advantage over Biden in Florida.
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Still, Biden believes his policies could resonate in the state, where
one-in-five residents are over the age of 65. Polls show Democrats are
perceived as more likely to protect the Social Security and Medicare
programs.
Biden has sought to link Republicans to the idea of cutting funding for
both programs as part of negotiations over increasing the United States'
$31.4 trillion debt limit.
But Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House of
Representatives, has repeatedly said his party will not try to scale
back the nation's two largest benefit programs.
Biden drew boos from Republicans in his State of the Union speech when
he asserted some hardline conservatives want to end Social Security and
Medicare. He then said he took their response as a deal to protect the
programs.
"So folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security, Medicare is off
the books now, right? All right. We’ve got unanimity," Biden said. "I
enjoy conversion."
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U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air
Force One as he departs from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S.,
November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
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FLORIDA TROUBLES
Florida, the nation's third-most-populous state, was long seen as a
critical battleground state in U.S. presidential elections.
But Democrats have struggled there in recent elections, and DeSantis
last year won a second term as governor by nearly 20 percentage
points.
"There is no reason at this point to devote national resources into
Florida in 2024," a senior Democrat told Reuters at a recent party
conference in Philadelphia.
Biden has said he intends to run for reelection and he is expected
to formally launch his bid in coming weeks.
Jen O'Malley Dillon, a senior Biden aide who ran his 2020 campaign
and is expected to play a key role in his next, does not see Florida
as essential for a Biden victory in 2024 and has preferred to focus
more on Arizona and Georgia, states that have grown more favorable
for Democrats, according to people familiar with her thinking.
Steve Schale, a Florida Democratic operative and Biden ally, who ran
Obama's campaign in the state in 2008, said he understands the
party's challenges in Florida.
"My concern is when you start ceding states that you won three of
the last six elections in, is that smart?," Schale said. "There
should be a longer-term conversation about Florida, but I understand
the realities of the 2024 map."
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chris
Reese)
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