Joe Biden tested positive again for Covid in a rare “rebound” case on Saturday and has been stuck behind a mask. Although not experiencing any new symptoms, the US president said he was “isolating for the safety of everyone”. Perfect! If only he could stay more or less permanently out of sight, he might stand a chance of winning a second term of office in 2024. As it is, the Democrats have a looming succession problem.
The less American voters saw of Biden, the more they liked him during the 2020 campaign. Republicans ridiculed him for running for president from his basement but it worked. Shunning the limelight was the best way to remind people of Biden’s number one advantage: he was not Donald Trump. Today he is viewed as old and doddery — he will be nearly 82 if he stands again. His staff hover nervously at every public event lest he fumble the message.
