US Presidential elections: Joe Biden, Donald Trump secure nominations triggering 2020 rematch
Washington: US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump have secured enough delegates to become their respective parties's 2024 presidential nominees, media reports said.
Following weeks of campaign advertisements, political addresses, and voting in more than two dozen primary contests, Americans are confronting a reality that numerous have sought to avoid: a first presidential rematch since 1956.
Early in January, there were already signs of pessimism about the rematch within the nation.
"I hate to think that we're constantly navigating the lesser of two evils," said Kimberly Sofge, a 56-year-old project manager in Washington. "I honestly feel that we can do better."
Americans frequently express dissatisfaction with their constrained political alternatives and desire a broader selection.
In a January poll conducted by Ipsos, a global leader in market research, two-thirds of respondents indicated they were "tired of seeing the same candidates in presidential elections and want someone new."
The survey also revealed that only a quarter of Americans are "satisfied" with the two-party system.
A recent poll by The Hill shows that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has 11 percent voter support.
Kennedy Jr., also known as a strong competitor outside the two parties, is considering an NFL star and a former WWE wrestler as his possible running mates for the November election.
"Defence spending exceeds all other discretionary spending combined. What does that say about our nation's priorities?" He once wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
While third parties may not secure the presidency, they retain the capacity to sway election results.
Their impact hinges on two additional factors beyond their vote count: whether they garner disproportionate support from a particular side and the race's closeness between the two primary parties.
There is a rationale for the public pursuing "new faces." Both major contenders have equally notorious records, giving third parties and independent candidates more opportunities.
President Joe Biden and members of his administration, notably Vice President Kamala Harris, have been touting "Bidenomics" as their new slogan for the 2024 campaign season.
While Biden and Harris may want to portray Bidenomics as an economic miracle that has significantly enhanced the well-being of the middle and working classes, the evidence suggests otherwise.
A recent study by Lending Club, a financial services company headquartered in San Francisco, California, found that 61 percent of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck.
Additionally, approximately 75 percent of those earning less than 50,000 U.S. dollars annually and 65 percent of those with incomes ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 dollars per year face difficulties managing their finances monthly.
Trump, Biden's rival, hasn't fared much better. Legal difficulties have beset the former president's bid for re-election to the White House. He faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases and two civil lawsuits.
Trump's federal court trial for election obstruction in Washington, D.C., has been delayed due to his appeals, while the legal proceedings in Florida and Fulton County, Georgia, are entangled in litigation.
Biden and Trump have ratcheted up their rhetoric against each other after the "Super Tuesday" primaries earlier this month, when they both won by a landslide in their own party's face-offs.
The lengthy, bitter battle for the White House, poised to deepen political divisions, enters a new phase.
(With UNI/Sputnik inputs)