Joe Biden, despite his declining popularity, seems to be the inevitable choice as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Alex Panetta, a journalist at CBC, analyzes why the party is persisting with Biden as their nominee and evaluates what awaits him if he is to engage in another competition against Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is going small with the aim of achieving greater results in November.

With 10 months remaining before Election Day, the Democratic incumbent is fully committed to low-key events – like visits to a boba tea shop, a family’s kitchen, or a barbershop, as opposed to large-scale rallies.

Biden, who has never been a big public speaker, is utilizing his proficiency as a retail politician, a skill he’s developed over his 50 years in political office. This tactic also portrays his team’s perception of the transformed media setting, where reaching voters via TikTok videos and Instagram stories could be more productive than traditional television ads and speeches.

President Joe Biden was seen engaging in a conversation at No. 1 Boba Tea in Las Vegas on Monday. This comes as he adopts a minimalist approach to events instead of large gatherings with the Election Day just 10 months away.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, the previous month, Biden paid a visit to Cook Out to buy burgers and fries. He then delivered the takeout to Eric Fitts’ house where he was about to have what his campaign referred to as a “kitchen table conversation”. Eric is an employee of the local school system who has enjoyed the benefits of student loan forgiveness programs introduced by the administration.

The campaign recorded the visit but did not allow media coverage. However, selected parts of the visit were later shared on the internet. An unplanned highlight that caught the campaign team’s attention was a video shared by Christian, one of Fitts’ sons, on TikTok. The video, about a minute long, provided an insider’s view of Biden’s visit- it showed the president taking notice of photos on the family’s fridge and his limousine leaving their driveway.

Though the campaign team doesn’t use TikTok due to national security considerations, they didn’t hesitate to direct reporters to the video after it amassed millions of views quickly.

President Joe Biden paid a visit to the Regal Lounge barber shop in Columbia, S.C. on the 27th of January. He spent time interacting with the barbers, staff, and customers, prior to the Democratic primary in the state scheduled for February 3.

According to Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Rob Flaherty, visits like these are essential. He said that in today’s world, where people have access to diverse media platforms that fulfill their unique preferences, reaching essential voters can be quite difficult.

The voters that Biden is often trying to reach are usually least engaged with the political process. They are younger, racially more diverse than the overall population, and not overly enthusiastic about the anticipated face-off between Biden and ex-President Donald Trump.

Flaherty emphasized the necessity of expanding the scope of the president’s efforts – in terms of what is considered a good use of his time, who his target audience is, and the reasons for communication.

Biden commenced the presidential election year with key speeches close to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and in Charleston, South Carolina, intended to establish the voting choices in November. According to his campaign, he plans to keep holding significant events, primarily closer to summer when voter attention increases, however, they place equal or more emphasis on smaller gatherings.

The president’s subdued oratory style and occasionally meandering speeches at larger gatherings have been exploited by Trump and Republican detractors, fuelling the idea that the 81-year-old president isn’t equipped for another presidential term. In contrast, Trump rarely holds local events, preferring his characteristic large scale rallies with avid supporters, many of whom line up for hours for admission, and appearances at sporting events.

The campaign predicts Biden’s ‘go-small’ tactic will reveal a fresh aspect of the president to the American public, potentially enhancing his dropping poll numbers.

This strategy came into full force this year with a sequence of visits to small enterprises in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where the president showed surprise at the variety in a local cycle store and engaged in conversation with the owner of a running specialty shop, highlighting his economic policies’ impact. Given his affection for sweet treats, Biden sought to find out from an employee at a coffee shop nearby if they made smoothies, and one was quickly prepared for him.

President Joe Biden, while being at the center of attention, is seen clicking pictures with the patrons at They Say restaurant in Harper Woods, Michigan during a visit on Feb. 1. Biden deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty had once quoted, preferring hundred outside individuals appreciating Biden over a single content from his own team saying the same.

Apart from the gentler aspects of politics, Biden’s aids also emphasize that their primary aim is to let the president or the people he interacts with, to boost the president’s message.

While visiting Emmaus, Biden shared with the reporters that one of the entrepreneurs he had been speaking to, had assured him that he could now reassure his kid expressing, “Everything is going to be absolutely fine. We are going to make it.”

In a span of two weeks, Biden interacted with around two dozen patrons at a taproom in Superior, Wisconsin. The patrons, although, were sipping on to their mid-afternoon beers, managed to take some time out to listen to Biden, who doesn’t consume alcohol, talk about the revival and growth of the economy at a nearby brewery.

“Performing these halts allows the movement to showcase this perspective of Biden that has eternally disrupted the commotion for those electors who are not stuck to cable news,” articulated Kate Berner, a prior deputy director of communications for Biden in the White House.

Biden recently socialized with the stylists, team, and customers at the African American-owned Regal Lounge located in Columbia, South Carolina, just before the state’s Dem primary on 3rd February. Prior to the Michigan contest on 27th February, Biden’s campaign escorted a local entrepreneur in the presidential armored vehicle from the runway parallel to Air Force One to a neighborhood restaurant.

And the day before the Nevada primary, Biden made a detour to an Asian American-owned bubble tea shop in Las Vegas and a motel on the iconic strip to interact with a small assembly of the state’s powerful culinary union workers.

Biden has consistently been outstanding at retail politics. Those viral instants – and even the ones circulated in smaller circles – accumulate, as stated by Flaherty.

“I would rather have 100 outside voices saying Joe Biden is great than one piece of content from us saying Joe Biden is great,” he said.

In November 2023, the Biden administration launched a two-week national rural “barnstorm.” The aim was to showcase the administration’s achievements to rural America, a potentially crucial player in the 2024 presidential election.

On November 1, President Biden initiated the tour with a speech at Dutch Creek Farms, located in Minnesota’s southern Dakota County. With a challenging reelection campaign on the horizon, Biden focused on his efforts to improve the lives of farmers who are struggling due to the current pandemic and the further strain of climate change. The Daily Yonder noted that while some of his comments echoed with rural audience members, they missed the mark for others.

The Minnesota family farm event was the only one Biden attended personally during the rural tour, which also included stops in urban locations, such as Indianapolis. Perhaps his visit to Minnesota held strategic importance for bagging votes in the 2024 elections. Even though the farm where Biden gave his speech, nestled in Dakota County, doesn’t qualify as rural according to the federal definition—as it is among the seven counties that make up the Twin Cities metropolitan area—it lies only three miles north of rural Rice County, where Biden lost to Trump by a margin of less than a point.

He is also struggling to raise funds from Minnesota donors. As of September 2023, former President Donald Trump raised just over $580,000 from Minnesota donors, more than Biden’s $388,000. And an Emerson College poll from October 2023 showed Biden held only a slight two-point lead over Trump when the president’s rural tour was underway.

Meanwhile, a national poll indicated that economic issues are top-of-mind among rural voters.

Results of the poll, conducted by the Center for Rural Strategies and Lake Research Partners, were released the same day Biden spoke in Minnesota. It found that rural voters were most concerned about the high cost of goods, affordable housing, and corporate greed. Biden’s speech also came about a month after a Reuters poll found 71% of rural Americans disapproved of his presidential performance.

Brad Kluver of Dutch Creek Farms, a third-generation farmer, speaking with President Joe Biden.

Inside a barn on the 81-acre Dutch Creek Farms, Biden discussed his strategies to improve rural quality of life, primarily through an agricultural perspective. His plan involves funding for the growth of cover crops to mitigate climate change, support for smaller meat processing operations, and funds for broadband, clean water, roads, and electrical supplies. By doing so, Biden aims to tackle the high price of goods, curb corporate greed and ensure affordability for residents of rural America.

Biden’s investment plans include nearly $1.7 billion for advanced “climate-smart” agricultural practices. He also plans to add $2 billion to increase health care and affordable housing access in rural communities associated with the Rural Partners Network. There will be $1.1 billion set aside for renewing rural electrical and water infrastructure, $145 million for farmers to implement clean energy technologies like solar panels, and an additional $274 million to extend high-speed internet access to rural communities.

This is in addition to the $1 billion already invested through the American Rescue Plan to support small to medium-sized meat processors. In his address, Biden mentioned Brad Kluver, the owner of Dutch Creek Farms, who had to sell his hogs through social media when large meat processing plants shut down due to the pandemic.

In his address, he stated that their plan allows farmers to diversify and earn added income by selling into local markets, rather than depending on a single income stream subject to commodity markets and large corporations. Biden insisted, “Due to these investments we’re making, family farms like this will stay within the family and successors like Brad won’t have to leave their homes to earn their living.”

Photo: Angela Dawson, a hemp farmer from Pine County, Minnesota is hopeful about some of Biden’s efforts.

Some attendees expressed their belief that Biden is performing well. Angela Dawson, an African American hemp farmer from Pine County, located midway between the Twin Cities and Duluth in Minnesota, praised Biden’s attempts to address racial inequity in agriculture, despite it being ultimately overruled by a federal judge.

“I have a sense that [Biden] has made commendable strides. Traditionally, farmers of color have been the last to be considered in many administrations. It’s a refreshing change to see us being a higher priority this time, and I hope this continues,” stated Dawson, noting that the Black farming population has reduced by more than 90% over the past century.

Rodrigo Cala concurred. Cala, who is associated with the Latino Economic Development Center, a St. Paul-based entity that fosters economic growth for Latino families, was granted funding from the USDA,, sponsored by the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, to enhance the access small farmers have to land, financial resources, and markets. The firm intends to assist aspiring Latino farmers in purchasing land in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin from next year onward.

Cala expressed that there is still much left for the Biden administration to do for farmers, especially those of color. She pointed out that the future farmers of our country are rapidly aging, with the average farmer now being 58 years old. She further emphasized the need for diversity, particularly in the rural areas of the country. For this, she pointed towards increasing racial and ethnic diversity.

One such future farmer is Tessa Parks, who has a mixed heritage of white, Japanese, and Filipino backgrounds. Tessa and her husband moved to Minnesota, specifically to the same Dakota County township where Biden gave his speech, to start a farm.

The architect behind the move to Minnesota were the high living costs in Washington which made it unaffordable for them to live, let alone run a farm. Tessa expressed her longing for her familiar city’s comfort, particularly her mother and grandmother’s cooking, while pointing out the threat of climate change as a motivation behind their farming endeavour in Minnesota.

After Biden’s speech, in a conversation with the Daily Yonder, Parks expressed her desire to hear more regarding health care and child care. The goal is clear, she doesn’t want to face bankruptcy for wanting to choose to have a child. She shared her worry about personal and health care costs colliding with mortgage payments, commuting costs to work, which in turn pay for their farm, their home and their food.

Parks expressed her worries about potentially needing help on their farmland, especially in instances where she or her spouse falls sick. While speaking, she disclosed the reality of their situation: the inability to rely on their fathers for assistance due to the distance separating them. They are unfortunately situated in Washington state, making it impossible for them to lend the necessary hands-on support.

Efforts by the Biden administration to make healthcare more affordable and accessible have been consistent. They have initiated moves to defend patients from unexpected bills and reduce low-quality healthcare options. Despite the affordability, these plans are often termed “junk” due to the poor coverage they provide. Moreover, the administration has approached a split Congress to solicit a huge USD 16 billion funding to ensure nationwide availability of childcare.

Despite the steps taken by the administration, Parks remains uneasy. She and her husband both have expensive health insurance and have recently finished paying off their accumulated medical debts. While farming is a passion for them, both also hold full-time jobs focusing on sustainable farming methods. Currently, they are living in Rice County, a town nearby their farm, as they can’t afford to stay on their farmland.

Parks confessed her frustrations, explaining her feeling of exclusion from the Biden administration’s vision and initiatives for small family farms and rural America. Her concern was that these programs appeared largely targeted towards established, multi-generational farms, primarily owned by white landowners, and conveniently overlooks those in dire situations, like hers. They struggle to afford rent, tirelessly invest their time and energy into maintaining and cultivating the land, but are never assured any security, she narrated.

Biden was joined in Minnesota by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Shortly afterward, Vilsack traveled to Indianapolis to speak about the Farm Bill, improving electrical infrastructure in rural Indiana, and engaging youth in agriculture, at the National Future Farmers of America convention in Indianapolis. Vilsack also met with the Western Governors’ Association in Wyoming to talk about how farmers can address climate change, and delivered opening remarks at a water symposium at Colorado State University.

Other cabinet appearances included Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, Deputy Secretary of Veteran Affairs Tanya Bradsher, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Centers for Disease Control director Mandy Cohen, and others. These stops covered funding for rural issues like meat processing and wastewater handling, electrical access and infrastructure, veteran affairs, education, and health care.

This story was produced by the The Daily Yonder and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.

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Despite sinking popularity, Joe Biden appears destined to lead the Democratic Party in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. CBC’s Alex Panetta…