It's time to open the Democratic Primary

An aging Joe Biden trails in most polls to Donald Trump

We need a younger candidate running for President on the Democratic side. I’ve had countless conversations about this with many people living in western Pennsylvania. 

There was always anecdotal support for that happening. But now New York Times polls show that Donald Trump leads in virtually every swing state because voters are concerned about Biden’s age. 

I’m not going to wax poetic about what Democrats should look for. Historically, it does well when it has a young and handsome candidate like John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama. The same appeal would work if it were a young woman of the same age, which is roughly between 40 and 60. That’s not to say older men and women wouldn’t be qualified. Still, the reality of Democratic politics is that it has to galvanize Hollywood and the American youth, which means the candidate has to be young and vibrant. 

Biden doesn’t have that effect. Bernie Sanders mainly appealed to Generation X and older millennials. The last one that caught the fascination and admiration of voters 18-25 was Barack Obama. That’s what we should go for again. 

The rhetoric should be aspirational, in touch, and relatable. We can’t be too abstruse, tribalistic, or so nit-picky about how people express their political views. Speak and campaign in a way that would appeal to the average person instead of an exclusive tastemaker in the fashion world. 

Younger people want candidates who promote free expression. They want candidates who stand up for them and believe in advancement through merit. They want politicians who speak to their idealism in ways that make them think that anyone–black or white, man or woman–can become a liberal hero. They should strive to fight for things even if they face criticism from their party and others. That’s a courageous candidate and one who would do well now. 

Younger voters are drifting to the Republican party, according to some polls, because the party leadership won’t pass the torch. At some point, they have to trust that the next generation will run things competently because they won’t be around forever to look after people. The time has come to put in place the next generation of leaders who will carry on the legacy of Clinton, Obama, and Kennedy.