Elections in the United States: Who is Dean Phillips, the only Democrat challenging Biden’s candidacy (and how he emphasizes that the president’s age may be a problem)

They argue that, at 81, the president is too old to seek a second term, thus reflecting the fears of many Democratic voters ahead of the November elections, in which he will most likely face a Republican again. Donald Trump.

We tell you who Phillips is and analyze what he’s looking for by challenging Biden despite his unlikely victory.

Dean Phillips was born in 1969 in Minnesota.

After his biological father died in the Vietnam War when he was just 4 months old, his mother married a wealthy businessman, Eddie Phillips, from whom Dean took his last name.

After a brilliant academic career, he accepted management roles in the family business, Phillips Distillery (later sold to a larger business group), where he amassed an estimated personal fortune. Millions of dollars.

Phillips has been a Minnesota congressman since 2019, when he became the first Democrat to win his district after six Republican terms.

And, in October of last year, he officially announced that he intends to be a progressive candidate for president in the 2024 election.

Phillips’ candidacy has divided opinion within the Democratic Party: some criticize him Create a section and challenge the meeting presidentWhile others see his campaign as an impetus to revitalize the party, along with putting on the table the need for more democratic competition in the primaries.

In his five years as a congressman, Phillips has aligned himself with his party’s policies and focused particularly on issues such as health care and climate change, which is why he is considered more progressive than the average Democrat.

Deputies have voted in favor of 100% of the initiatives proposed by Biden to date, so their loyalty to the President has not been questioned.

However, he has Raised serious doubts about the capability of the current leader to continue in office for four more years.

“I think President Biden has done a fantastic job for our country. But this is not about the past. This is an election about the future,” he told BBC partner CBS in November, shortly after announcing his candidacy.

More recently, he softened his tone, saying that at over 80 years old it is “ultimately impossible to hold the office of President of the United States as this country needs him at this time.”

Last Saturday, he also alleged in his campaign speech that the president are “unfit and weak”. And New Hampshire Democrats are confident they won’t back the president in Tuesday’s primary.

“If you listen to voters, people think the president is at a stage in life that makes him incompatible with the leadership of the free world. And the same goes for Donald Trump,” Phillips said.

Trump, Biden’s likely opponent, is 77, five years younger than the current president, who will win the November election. He will complete his second and final term (2025-29) at the age of 86.

One of the main arguments of the Democratic contender is that Biden’s advanced age is a major cause of concern among voters, which could take away a significant number of votes in the face of an electoral contest that promises to be tight.

In any case, he has assured that if Biden is eventually selected as the Democratic nominee for president, he will lend his support.

69% of Americans believe the president is not mentally clear enough to continue in office, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll, the results of which were released last week.

In August 2023, the AP news agency published a more detailed survey in which 77% answered that Biden is too old to rule for another four years.

This opinion was shared not only by 89% of supporters of the Republican Party, but also by 69% DemocratsSomething worrisome as this political force will need a significant mobilization of voters to win the November elections.

The idea that Biden is too old to continue governing was a majority among all age groups, though it is younger Democrats who are the most skeptical.

According to the survey, only one-third of Democrats under the age of 45 want Biden to run for re-election, while the figure rises to 54% among those over that age.

On the other hand, 26% mentioned age when asked the first concept they associated with Biden and Another 15% used words like “slow” or “confused”..

In Trump’s case, nearly half of Americans believe he is too old to repeat his term.

There have been many presidents in the last three and a half years Moments of confusion and verbal lapses During public events that led many to question his fitness as the leader of the world’s preeminent power.

Joe Biden himself sometimes uses humor to try to downplay concerns about his age.

“I have to tell you: turning 60 is not easy,” he said in a speech at the White House on Nov. 20, his 81st birthday.