Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer WNYC,. For the next few minutes, we want to pick up on that last point. You heard Congressman Pat Ryan, a Democrat, say that he supports Joe Biden for reelection. This has been a conversation among Democrats with a lot of discomfort and unease over the last year or so. The question of whether Biden should run for a second term or whether Democrats would prefer that he demures, he says, "Look, I'm 80 now."

He just turned 80 last week and like Nancy Pelosi and her other octogenarian house leaders "No, I'm not going to run and I'm going to let the next generation of Democrats step up here. Oh, by the way, maybe they would have a better chance of winning in 2024." Where are you, Democrats? Apparently, that conversation is changing and that conversation is fading, at least for now, because Democrats exceeded expectations in most parts of the country in the midterm elections.

Even though they did lose control of the House, they maintained control of the Senate and they did well at the state level in a number of states, even previously controlled by Republicans. Democrats, this call-in is for you for the next few minutes. Do you want President Biden to run for re-election or do you want him to announce that he's a one-term president and let the next generation of Dems step up? Democrats, (212)-433-WNYC. (212)-433-9692.

We'll just do this for a few minutes, so call right up. You'll get right on. Just want to take the temperature, obviously, this is the New York, New Jersey area, mostly Democrats, and we want to know how you're feeling and what you're thinking about Joe Biden in particular, and 2024 now that the midterms are over (212)-433-WNYC, or you can tweet your thoughts in 280 characters or less @BrianLehrer.

If you've been listening since the beginning of the show, you heard me speak a little bit with Susan Page from USA Today about this. They have an Ipsos-USA Today poll just out the other day, the headline of which is Democratic Support for Biden in 2024 surges after midterms. Even with that surge, they find Democrats are split 50-50 over whether Biden should seek a second term.

That's a headline, even though that's higher than it was before the elections 50-50 split among Democrats in this new poll from USA Today and Ipsos over whether Biden should seek a second term. That's just, again, a poll among Democrats. Obviously, a lot of Republicans wouldn't want him to seek a second term, but that's just what Democrats are saying. Here are some of the ways in which he went up.

According to this poll, the number of Democratic voters who believe Biden could win the 2024 race, that's a prognostication. It's not just do I want him to win. It's do I think he can win in 2024 that jumped to 71% of Democrats think he could win re-election up from 60% before the midterms. Interestingly, when you look at the demographics there, Biden's biggest gains since August were among voters under 35, a substantial gain from 53% of voters under 35 thinking he could win reelection to 69% thinking he could.

That's a big jump. Also, among women which USA Today reports jumped support among women for believing that he could win in 24, went up from 55% of Democratic women saying that to 71% of Democratic women in the new poll saying they think Biden could win. When Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today was on in the previous half hour, I asked her about that poll and the prospects for Biden, in fact, announcing that he will run.

Susan Page: This is so interesting, and I think it's had an effect on the internal democratic debate on whether Biden should seek a second term. What we found was in this poll, we took a week after the election. It was after the returns were in, we knew who had won. The number of Democratic voters who thought Biden could win in 2024 went up, it went up to 71%. When we asked this question in August, only 60% felt that way.

The number who thought, "Yes, Biden deserves a second term, I would like to see him renominated," went up too. It's a 50-50 split. That's not fantastic, but it's better than it was in August when 56% said it was time for a change and 44% said he deserved reelection. This is definitely victory in the midterms have convinced some Democrats that Biden can lead them to victory two years down the road.

Brian Lehrer: Susan Pages on this show about a half hour ago. Democrats, do you want Joe Biden to run for reelection? Of course, we have the context now of Donald Trump having already announced that he's going to run for reelection in 2024. It doesn't mean he is going to get the nomination but he's in the mix. He's already announced. Do you want Biden to announce one way or the other? We'll take your calls on that right after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now the call from Democrats on whether you want Joe Biden to run for president again in 2024 and Steve in the Bronx is first up. Steve, you're on WNYC. Hi there.

Steve: Hi, Brian. Thank you for taking my call. You run a terrific show. If Biden decides he should run again after consulting this family, absolutely. I saw him at a convention 10 years ago. He's tall, he's pretty trim and fit and a golfer. You should take a playbook from Harry Truman. When Truman lost in 1946, both houses in mid-terms, he had a do-nothing Republican Congress. He worked with them and they worked with him on international things like the Marshall Project but he lambasted them.

If, first of all, they should crazy proof, as Paul Krugman said in this lame duck session, get things done like Ukraine and the debt ceiling. By summer 2024, if he hasn't been able to get much through, he should call a special session and lay it down so people see it differently. Don't forget, he also spit up and shoot up Paul Ryan in the debate in 2012. He can do it with DeSantis and anybody else. He's an old pro. God bless him.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, Steve. All right, we're going to go next to Mike in Park Slope, you're on WNYC. Hi, Mike.

Mike: Hey, good morning, Brian. I've been listening to your show for many years. I think that Biden has done a fantastic job, but if you look forward to the end of his next term, starting in 2024, he's going to be about 86 years old. I think the stresses of the job are a bit too much for somebody in that age. I would be fearful that he might have some medical condition that would reduce his ability to do the job.

Brian Lehrer: You think then therefore that he shouldn't run because of that possibility for late in his term?

Mike: Yes. I think if he announces that he's not going to seek a second term, it will open up the field for Democrats who really should be moving into leadership positions. I think there are many good candidates. I think of Kamala Harris, Newsom in California, I think Senator Mark Kelly who just won reelection in Arizona could be the type of person who would be a very successful nationwide candidate.

Brian Lehrer: Interesting name to throw in the mix there. Former astronaut, and husband of former Congress member Gabby Giffords who of course was shot in that famous, horrible incident. Though she is still alive and well from what I understand though impaired. Taking calls from Democrats for a few minutes on whether you want Joe Biden to run for reelection. Dylan in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hello, Dylan.

Dylan: Hi. Hello, Brian. Thanks for taking my call. I'm one of the young people that actually think that Biden should run again. I think particularly with Trump getting in the race and the likelihood that DeSantis and others get in, I think the Republicans are going to have a very messy primary. The Democrats' main objective needs to be to look like the competent adults in the room. I think avoiding a messy primary themselves and keeping Biden as the lead of the party will allow them to do that and give them the best chance in 2024 to keep the White House.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Call us again Dylan. Leslie in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Leslie.

Leslie: Hi. How are you? Thank you for taking my call. I absolutely think he should. Given the fact that he's viable physically, et cetera. I don't think we can sacrifice all his enormous- What's the word I want? Sorry, I lost it. -experience. Such experience, decades and decades of it, especially if Trump-- What we don't need is truly an unknown quantity, especially if Trump runs.

We need someone that we know that makes us feel secure. He's shown that he's malleable. He has compassion. He's really brought a lot forward, and he's also toughened up. He showed a tougher face, which we all knew he had, of course, when it came time to use it. He's subtle. He's good. He's a great guy.

Brian Lehrer: Leslie, thank you very much. Here's Wayne, who I'm told has pulled over in the car on his way, driving to Pennsylvania. Hi, Wayne you're on WNYC.

Wayne: Hi, Brian. Thanks for taking my call. Real quick, I think it would be admirable if Biden were to bow out. I think that would be the way to go. His age is huge and if either DeSantis or Trump gets into their perspective nominations, his age will become an issue, I think. There are plenty of other options for us out there. I'm not taking anything away from Biden. He's a wonderful guy. He's brought some civility back to the White House and even to our country. I think it would be great if he just bowed out. He wouldn't be leaving a one term presidency like Jimmy Carter. He would be living a one-term presidency bringing us back into a civil world and then allowing the Newsoms of our country to take over.

Brian Lehrer: Do you have anybody in mind for next or let a million flowers bloom in the primary?

Wayne: I really think Newsom is a great option. I wish Cuomo could have been an option because what a guy who connected to the world out there but save Cuomo. I think Newsom is our next best option. He's a younger guy that really does ring true to a lot of my values, even though he's on the West Coast

Brian Lehrer: Wayne, thank you.

Wayne: That's who I can think of, to be honest with you.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Thanks for checking in. Some that are coming in on Twitter, one listener writes, "Yes, Biden should run again, and in my opinion, he will win a second term," and that person adds, "Wow, ageism is alive and well." Then somebody else tweets, "I'm a 72-year-old Democrat living in Florida. While I support Biden, I think it's time for him to pass the torch."

Somebody else tweets, "I'd rather have a new younger candidate, but I don't trust the DNC, Democratic National Committee who blew it by giving us Hillary when Bernie could have and would have won. I don't trust the machine to come up with someone terrific." Someone else writes, "Any discussion about whether Biden should run, needs to talk about how successful he has been at passing his agenda through narrowly divided Congress." So successful in that person's view. Let's go back to the phones. Lawrence in Bayside, you're on WNYC. Hi, Lawrence.

Lawrence: Hi. How are you doing? I believe that Biden would actually win especially if Trump is the Republican candidate, I think that any competent Democrat who doesn't have a potential scandal could actually win against Trump. I think Biden's done much better than everyone expected him to. I've had almost four years now of explaining that the gas that he makes are part of his personality. That he's always made them, that he made them when he was in his 20s, and it's not dementia or some form of senility. It's going to be particularly difficult going forward.

I had hoped that Bernie Sanders would've been elected president, but I voted for Biden and I knew he was a professional. I knew he was someone who had been on headed up the foreign Senate relations committee and knew what he was doing. The problem though, that he ran into that Obama ran into is that Republicans don't want to cooperate about anything other than making themselves look bad in some way.

Now that the House is going to be investigating Joe Biden's college records and his first kiss, and the first time his son had a paper route, it's going to be very difficult to get anything done for the next two years. That's going to make his administration look weaker by the time the election comes around. I like Newsom he's okay. I like Warren, I read her papers and seem to agree with all of her white papers. I wish she was a little better on television. Amy Klobuchar is a candidate.

We have a bunch of people that we could get off the bench and Biden could make a very grand and noble gesture of saying, "I've served in the highest office and this has been the pinnacle of my long career in public service, and now I nominate," and he picks a successor, but it's his decision. I don't think anyone's going to run against him.

Brian Lehrer: No, I think that's-- So far, at least unless something changes, that's the consensus. I don't know about him naming his successor. I think at that point, you know politics has to take its course and let people compete for that honor rather than it being passed down from on high within the party leadership. Lawrence, thank you so much. Keep calling us. Let's see. Somebody writes on Twitter, "Absolutely tired of old white men running. I like Biden, but honestly we need younger blood, people of color, and women."

Somebody else, however, writes, "I remember when the discussion was about putting Nancy Pelosi out to pastor and how wrong that was. Could anyone else have let us through the past four years? Biden is well qualified and capable as are many 80-plus-year-olds I know," writes that listener. James in North Carolina, you're on WNYC. Hi, James.

James: Hi. Thanks for taking my call. Love your show. I live in North Carolina, but I used to live in New Jersey. When I lived in New York, I worked for the Drug Policy Alliance where I saw them work behind the scenes with Gavin Newsom on the Blue Ridge Ribbon Commission for Cannabis Policy in California. I got to see how Gavin works with his team. He is a killer. He is a great politician and he will wipe the floor with Trump and DeSantis.

I am supportive of Gavin Newsom for president and I would love to see his vice president, north Carolina's current governor, Roy Cooper, who is like the good cop to Gavin's bad cop. Roy Cooper's known as Mr. Rogers. He's very friendly. He's very amicable. He moderates a conservative state very well and he's very popular in North Carolina. I think the two of them would make a very powerful team.

Although if Biden does get the nomination and decides to run again, I'm sure he will do a great job. He is a seasoned professional, as many say. That's my contribution.

Brian Lehrer: Very interesting, James. Thank you very much. That ends that brief call in for Democrats on whether you want Biden to run for reelection in 2024. Like the USA Today Ipsos poll that just came out, which found Democrats are divided 50/50 on that question though, this obviously as just a call-in poll to a radio show is informal, unofficial, and thoroughly unscientific. I'd say it came out about 50/50 here too that conversation enacted now for the 2024 election cycle.

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