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HAMPTON, Va. — Dealing with mounting stress over President Joe Biden’s age, his son’s enterprise dealings and public notion of the economic system, the Biden administration is launching a renewed effort to energise youthful voters because the president’s marketing campaign prepares for a doubtlessly grueling normal election combat.
On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off a monthlong school tour throughout eight states. On the “Struggle for Our Freedoms” tour, Harris is specializing in points that her workplace mentioned disproportionally have an effect on younger individuals, together with abortion rights, pupil loans, gun security and local weather change.
“The freedoms which can be underneath assault proper now in our nation are very actual,” Harris advised a packed crowd of scholars at Hampton College in Virginia, a traditionally Black college that was based within the 1860s.
In a moderated dialog with the actor Terrence J, Harris urged college students to register to vote. She has been to 11 school campuses this yr after having visited 14 faculties final yr.
Simply 41% of registered voters ages 18-34 in a June NBC Information ballot had favorable views of Biden. Simply 35% had constructive views of Harris.
Biden additionally trails his former boss in approval scores amongst younger individuals. At the moment in his presidency, former President Barack Obama had an approval score of 56% amongst registered voters 18-34, whereas Biden sits at 51%.
Kendall Yancey, a pupil at Hampton College, mentioned he associated extra to the Obamas as a result of they’d younger youngsters within the White Home. As for Biden, Yancey mentioned: “We see him like our grandfather.” Peyton Orr, one other pupil, mentioned: “It makes it laborious for him to attach with the younger individuals.”
Whereas younger voters do say they’d choose Biden over Republican front-runner Donald Trump by a large margin — 60% to 35% — the bigger concern for the Biden marketing campaign is whether or not younger individuals will keep dwelling on Election Day.
Based on a current CBS Information/YouGov ballot, greater than three-fourths of People suppose there must be a most age restrict for elected officers.
“It’d be an amazing factor if each President Biden and former President Trump have been to face apart and let their respective get together choose somebody within the subsequent technology,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, mentioned Wednesday as he introduced his plans to not search re-election subsequent yr, citing his personal superior age as an important a part of his choice.
On the Hampton College occasion, which was organized by the White Home and never the marketing campaign, some college students gave the administration excessive marks whereas acknowledging considerations about age. Biden can be 86 years previous on the finish of a second time period.
“I believe it’s a concern, as a result of we don’t wish to be voting for him after which he could not really be capable to serve his full time period,” pupil Ahmere Harper mentioned.
Harris, who went to high school at rival Howard College, was well-received by the group. However in Washington, even amongst Democrats, there are mounting questions on her position on the ticket. In an interview Wednesday evening, former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., twice declined to straight reply whether or not Harris is the only option.
Biden “thinks so, and that’s what issues,” Pelosi advised CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
A supply acquainted with the marketing campaign pushed again in opposition to any criticism of Harris, highlighting {that a} Wednesday fundraising e-mail she signed slamming the impeachment inquiry was essentially the most profitable to this point and grew the marketing campaign’s lively e-mail listing by 700,000 addresses.
“I believe President Biden is the face of the Biden administration for positive,” Hampton pupil Shavonne Hines-Foster mentioned, “however I believe lots of people wish to see Vice President Harris and her engagement with youth.”
Lauren Cyrus, one other pupil, mentioned, “He doesn’t have as many shut relationships with individuals our age, and so I don’t suppose he’s in a position to have a full in-depth understanding of the struggles that we have now.”
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