As U.S. President Joe Biden prepares for his re-election campaign in 2024, he faces new challenges and differences from the 2020 race. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden kept a low

profile and campaigned virtually from his home in Wilmington, Delaware. However, this time around, he will have to attend public events and traditional campaign stops, replacing virtual events with handshakes, selfies, and crowds of people. Additionally, the Democratic convention in Chicago will be in-person. Republican rivals will be scrutinizing Biden's age, as he is 80 years old, and assessing whether his age has made him less fit for the campaign trail and the White House. The Democrats will focus on showcasing Biden's effectiveness and his legislative accomplishments.

Biden's 2020 campaign was reimagined with innovations such as virtual fundraisers, but some were controversial, including the prohibition of door-knocking by campaign volunteers and his regular appearances from his basement, which became a meme panned by right-wing voters. Campaign aides are now reinventing his campaign as the economy is a concern, and there is potential for a recession as growth slows, interest rates remain high, and inflation hovers above pre-pandemic levels.

If Trump becomes Biden's opponent again, he is expected to follow the strategy that he employed in 2016 and 2020 with multiple large rallies to energize his base. However, Trump will first have to win what could be a grueling Republican nomination contest. Biden, as an incumbent without major opposition inside his party, will not face the same challenge. Overall, the Democrats believe that Biden's strength and conviction of values and his skill at traditional "retail" politics will make a real difference in small intimate settings. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.