Running For — or From — Office?

While an 86-year-old president seems preposterous, Joe Biden is a preposterous man.

A Politico article casts doubt, if only a sliver, on Joe Biden running for a second term.

“People directly in touch with the president described him as a kind of Hamlet on Delaware’s Christina River, warily biding his time as he ponders the particulars of his final campaign,” the piece written by five reporters claims. “In interviews, these people relayed an impression that the conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C. — that there’s simply no way he passes on 2024 — has crystallized too hard, too soon.”

The article points to April as the earliest date of an announcement and indicates that last November’s elections gave the president breathing room to delay a decision.

While an 86-year-old president seems preposterous, Joe Biden is a preposterous man. His run for reelection looks like a fait accompli.

That said, a president wishing to remain effective for his term undermines that effort by announcing he does not seek reelection. Giving all the signals of seeking a second term while never actually seeking one works as the most effective strategy in such a scenario.

Biden possibly knows his presidency ends in less than two years and, wanting to make the most of those two years, holds off on bowing out of the race until as late as possible. Biden running seems more likely. But this other scenario — especially since the president gives out the same signals whether running or not — seems possible.