Analysis by Philip Bump
Almost immediately after President Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the Democratic Party’s nominating contest, some of his snarkier supporters began workshopping a new line of attack against Republican nominee Donald Trump: Can you get over how old this guy is?
The parallel to the criticism that drove Biden out of the race in the first place is intentional, of course. But it’s not wrong. Trump now goes from being the (relatively) young major-party contender to the (obviously) old one — even if the person he faces in November ends up not being the (relatively) sprightly Vice President Harris.
If the Democratic nominee is Harris, which seems likely, this is one of myriad points of contrast that didn’t exist when the matchup was Biden vs. Trump. The overall dynamics of the contest are likely to remain the same — the election will be a referendum on the former president — but the distinctions between Trump and Harris may be what tilts a close race in one direction or the other.
Distinctions such as:
Age
It’s worth doubling down on this particular distinction because it is probably the most consequential (and one that would almost certainly apply to any Democratic nominee).
A week ago, the Republican convention rolled into Milwaukee, Trump’s campaign giddy after he emerged nearly unscathed from an attempt on his life and appeared to be coasting to a rematch against a candidate seen broadly as doddering. It was hard for Republicans to criticize Biden’s frequent verbal fumbles in 2020 because Trump’s, particularly as president, was more significant. This year (and particularly after the June 27 debate) Trump’s weird comments and asides got far less attention than Biden faced every time he spoke.
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