NEWS AND OPINION:
The numbers are in, and they are not necessarily helpful to a pair of presidents at the moment.
“There is not a lot of enthusiasm for either President Biden or former President Donald Trump becoming the major party nominees in 2024. American voters are much more likely to see Biden as too old than say the same about Trump,” reports a Monmouth University Poll.
“Three-quarters (76%) of American voters agree that Biden is too old to effectively serve another term as president. Just under half (48%) say the same about Trump,” the poll analysis noted.
“These two men were born only three and a half years apart, but public perceptions of their age are wildly different. This is certainly one of the reasons, but probably not the only reason, why there is little voter enthusiasm for seeing a rematch of 2020 except among partisan loyalists,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a written statement.
Find the numbers and the survey particulars in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
DESANTIS EXPLAINS WHY
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — in the company of wife Casey and children Madison, Mason and Mamie — has made a notable campaign trip to Iowa, part of his continued quest to visit all 99 counties in the Hawkeye State. He has currently set foot in 59 of those counties — and clarified the reasons why he’s in the race.
“I’m the only military veteran running for president. I’d be the first president elected since 1988 that’s served our country in a war overseas. Second, I’m a dad of a 6-, 5-, and 3-year-old, so all these issues with education, parents’ rights, that’s very personal to me. And as president, I think it’d be good to have a family, young family in the White House again,” he told the Ottumwa Radio Group, a media organization.
“I’m the only guy running who, everything I’ve promised the voters I would do as governor of Florida, I delivered on 100% of my promises. We did more America First policy in Florida than anybody running for president. And as president of the United States, you can trust me to follow through and deliver on the promises. And it’s one thing to sound good in a campaign. It’s one thing to go around. But when you get in, you’ve got to be able to bring all this to fruition. If we don’t do that, we’re not going to be able to reverse the decline that our country’s in,” Mr. Desantis said.
WHAT RAMASWAMY LEARNED
“The U.S.-Canada border is the longest international border between two nations, yet we have fewer than 2,000 Border Patrol agents stationed there. Just last year, these agents seized 14 pounds of fentanyl at the northern border, enough to kill over 3 million Americans,” said Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, after visiting the northern U.S. border on Saturday, in the company of Coos County High Sheriff Brian Valerian.
Coos County — all 1,800 square miles of it — is the northernmost county in New Hampshire. Mr. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, has a reminder for all about the region.
“Many illegal migrants who are turned away at the U.S. southern border are now flying to Canada to invade via our northern border instead. This is wrong. It is shameful that leaders in both parties have ignored this growing crisis,” he said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
AND FROM THE FAR NORTH
Our old friend “Deep Woods” — a politically attuned source who indeed lives in the far northeastern woods of New England — sent along this observation about a certain trying situation.
“I keep reading that the politicians and the military bemoan the shortage of munitions for Ukraine. I bet they wished they had all that was abandoned in the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Another unintended consequence of a failed policy. Just saying,” Mr. Woods observes.
A GATHERING OF NOTE
A recent 40th anniversary party highlighted a guest not seen too often in the nation’s capital. The host for this very swell affair was the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The nimble nonprofit is an advocate for freedom on a wide range of critical economic and regulatory policy issues, with a focus on reforming America’s regulatory state.
The celebration of four decades was unique, stylish, much fun — and themed around Elvis Presley himself, the fabulous 1950s and the icons of that era — including Las Vegas-style lighting and a vintage pink convertible, top down.
“Our Elvis tribute artist Leo Days, a former Vegas Elvis, was pure rock ‘n’ roll and grace. First on stage, however, entering in a bedazzled white jumpsuit and eagle cape, was Reason magazine editor at large and master of ceremonies Nick Gillespie to kick off the main stage presentations,” a guest tells Inside the Beltway.
“He toasted this year’s Simon Award Winners Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley for their brilliant work in ‘Superabundance’ — and also raised a glass along to Elvis’s own legacy of musical and cultural abundance. The queen of decision-making Annie Duke joined CEI President Kent Lassman on stage to discuss the wisdom of quitting, specifically the government vacating never needed, outdated, or unwieldy regulations,” the guest noted.
The “Superabundance” here refers to the book “Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet,” published by the Cato Institute in 2022).
“At the after party, guests couldn’t get enough of Elvis’ favorite desserts at the diner, time in the pink convertible, or dancing on the red carpet to ‘All Shook Up!’” our source recalled.
Find the host organization, by the way, at CEI.org.
POLL DU JOUR
• 55% of registered U.S. voters “strongly agree” that President Biden is “too old to effectively serve another term as president”; 26% say the same of former President Donald Trump.
• 21% “somewhat agree” that Mr. Biden is too old to serve another term; 22% say the same of Mr. Trump.
• 13% “somewhat disagree” that Mr. Biden is too old to serve another term; 20% say the same of Mr. Trump.
• 10% “strongly disagree” that Mr. Biden is too old to serve another term; 30% say the same of Mr. Trump.
• 1% don’t know if Mr. Biden is too old or not; 2% say the same of Mr. trump.
SOURCE: A Monmouth University poll of 737 registered U.S. voters conducted Sept. 19-24
• Helpful information to [email protected].
