Democrats panic and weigh their options after Biden's lackluster debate performance

It's no secret that Joe Biden isn't getting any younger. However, after his presidential debate performance, many in the Democratic Party are feeling less than confident about him.

Currently, Joe Biden holds the record as the oldest President of the United States. If reelected, he would be 82 years old at his inauguration in January 2025.

The choice to run for a second term was received with a lukewarm response from Democrat voters, and numbers haven't exactly improved, with Reuters reporting that only 36% of people approved of Joe Biden by May 2024.

Right now, unless something major disrupts either candidate, it's a given that November will be a rematch between Trump and Biden. However, the winner isn't so clear.

As Forbes magazine highlights, Biden's debate performance was full of verbal flubs, mumbling, and moments where he lost his train of thought. Not exactly someone who projects confidence to the average voter.

The Democratic National Convention will pick the party's candidate this August in Chicago. However, here are a few alternatives that could be successful to succeeding Biden.

According to Business Insider, the most obvious choice is Vice President Kamala Harris. An African-American woman who is two decades younger than the current US President could definitely present a fresh face to the campaign.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is the other 2020 Democratic primary candidate to be part of the Biden Administration with Kamala Harris. Though, many people question if America is ready for having its first gay president.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is another favorite to eventually race for the White House. According to British newspaper The Guardian, the San Francisco-born politician was seen as running a “shadow campaign” while claiming that he would not seek to run.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been reported by Business Insider and other news outlets as a strong candidate to for president with the Democratic ticket, moderate appeal and Midwestern insight.

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker is another Midwestern state-level politician that could make it big on a national level. After Trump and Michael Bloomberg, having a billionaire running for the White House might be polarizing, though.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is another name that has been mentioned several times as a presidential hopeful. Politico writes that Polis, a defender of Biden's age and policies, claims he's solely focused on running his state, despite some White House buzz.

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is certainly a popular name among younger voters, but as she herself has admitted in a GQ interview, she feels pessimism about attracting a broader appeal across the country.

Finally, there's Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. According to The Philadelphia Enquirer, the Democratic politician has managed to successfully appeal to the center, and attract Republican voters. Not bad, given the polarizing climate of current US politics.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has enjoyed, in the past, lots of young, progressive support that Biden seems to fail to attract. However, one year older than the current US President, time is not on his side.

Forbes Magazine points out that while Michelle Obama has been mentioned in farfetched theories for years, former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed in different occasions that she has no interest in running for a political office. However, if she wanted to, she certainly has the popular support to do it.

Although everything points out that Biden will remain in the race this year, it's possible that quite a few of these names are getting ready for 2028.

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