07 March 2024 , 16:42
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Joe Biden 's State of the Union speech tonight could do "further harm" to his "unpopular" campaign as his opponents seek to capitalise on his age, an expert has warned.
The State of the Union address is a yearly message from the President, updating Americans on the important issues facing the United States and offering his ideas on how to solve them. Considering it's an election year, Biden is expected to outline his achievements while addressing a range of domestic issues such as a lack of bipartisan cooperation and the illegal immigration crisis.
It is one of the biggest pieces of political theatre every year, rooted in a simple requirement in the US Constitution that directs the president to “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Nowadays it’s a televised extravaganza where every detail is carefully scrutinised.
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Biden's age has come under scrutiny during the election campaign (AFP via Getty Images)Professor Inderjeet Parmar, head of the Department of International Politics at City, University of London, told TheMirror.com : "Given concerns about Biden’s age and health... a good clear performance will help. But the fact is that Biden is unpopular, as is Trump, and I doubt the speech will change anything very much. But it could do further harm."
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Biden's address will be watched more carefully than most because of his age. At 81 years old, he’s the oldest commander-in-chief in history, and he would be 86 at the end of a potential second term.
, Biden’s Republican predecessor and likely opponent in this year’s election, is 77. A majority of US adults doubt either of them have the mental capabilities to serve as president, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
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2024 will be another face off between Donald Trump and Joe Biden (AFP via Getty Images)The State of the Union is a chance for Biden to dispel doubts about whether he’s up for the job at an age when most Americans are retired. Any verbal slips or apparent confusion would provide fodder for his opponents.
The professor added: "The State of the Union (SOTU) address comes at an important time, now that both nominees for the November election are known. It'll be a repeat of the 2020 contest when both can claim endorsement by their respective parties. Biden gets an opportunity to lay out the lines of his election campaign agenda. Primaries tend to alert the electorate at an early stage that it is a presidential election year, as most people are not very highly engaged."
Last year an estimated 27.3 million people watched President ’s State of the Union address on television, the second smallest audience for the annual event in at least 30 years.
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