Old white men: Voters weary at prospect of a Trump-Biden sequel

It is the envy of the world for its diversity and vitality. Yet America is on course for a presidential election between a white man in his 80s and a white man in his 70s. And yes, they're the same guys as last time

- David Smith

Joe Biden, the 46th president and oldest in history, last week launched his campaign for a second term. The 80-year-old faces no serious challenge from within the Democratic party.

Donald Trump, the 45th president and second oldest in history, is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. He holds a 46-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the latest Emerson College poll. Trump, 76, who has more endorsements from members of Congress, faces legal perils, but most pundits agree that a replay of the 2020 election is the most likely scenario next year - one that polls show voters have little appetite for.

"I don't think Americans want to see a sequel," said Chris Scott, a Democratic strategist from Detroit, Michigan. "With Biden, there's a lot of people that question: does he have the stamina to do another four years?"

Biden's re-election bid was all but inevitable. This will be his fourth run for the presidency in four decades. He can point to arguably the most consequential legislative agenda since President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s and a better-than-expected performance in last year's midterm elections. He has no obvious challenger with the Democratic party and benefits from the same conditions as 2020: that Biden is best placed to beat Trump.