What happens if 81-year-old Joe Biden or 77-year-old four-times indicted Donald Trump drop out of the 2024 election race?
Democrats say they would like to see Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, or former first lady Michelle Obama take up the mantle.
Republicans opt for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the candidate they would like to see get their nomination.
These are the results of a Daily Mail/J.L. Partners poll, which found that there is no white knight candidate waiting in the wings to excite either side by replacing two ageing candidates with low favorability ratings and a high meh factor.
Things get a little more interesting when independent voters are asked the question. They would prefer former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to take on the Republican nomination, and Obama (who has made clear she has no interest in running) leapfrogs ahead of Harris as the pick of 16 percent.
J.L. Partners asked 1000 likely voters who they would like to see take up the Republican nomination if Trump quit. Republicans said Ron DeSantis, Independents went for Nikki Haley
The question is not entirely academic with on the one hand an 81-year-old incumbent who is slowing year-by-year and a 77-year-old challenger facing four criminal trials
EXCLUSIVEREAD MORE: Voters describe Trump and Biden’s plans for a second term as REVENGE or NOTHING
Other potential headline names, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are further down the Democratic field.
On the other side former Fox News host Tucker Carlson manages only four percent.
It leaves both sides favoring more establishment figures rather than a bold new name to turn things upside down and lead the party for another generation.
The question is not entirely academic. Biden is already the oldest president in history and shows clear signs of slowing down; meanwhile Trump is facing legal attempts to disqualify him from the ballot and would become the second oldest on his inauguration day if he won a second term.
When voters were asked for a single word to describe each candidates plans for a second term, the results were not inspiring.
For Trump the word was ‘revenge’; for Biden the word was ‘nothing.’
Julian Gallie, research associate at J.L. Partners, said: ‘Questions are swirling over Joe Biden’s re-election bid, but this poll shows that among the Democratic base there is a lack of an obvious successor. One in five go for the deeply unpopular Kamala Harris, with Michelle Obama the next favorite.
‘The fact that Democratic voters are reverting to past establishment figures, with one in three opting for either Hilary Clinton or Michelle Obama, suggests that the direction of travel is still unclear until a natural successor appears.’
J.L. Partners polled 1,000 likely voters for their views. The results come with a margin of error on 3.1 percent.
Democrats would stick with Kamala Harris while independents like Michelle Obama if Joe Biden were to drop out of the 2024 race
Harris and Obama edge out the likes of Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg
‘The Republican base remains at odds with Independents over the future of the GOP,’ said Gallie. ‘When asked who would be the best replacement for Donald Trump, Republicans back Ron DeSantis who has almost double the support of Vivek Ramaswamy in second, with Nikki Haley left languishing in fourth place.
‘Independents back Haley, but despite her ability to win over this part of the electorate, her position amongst Republican voters highlights her struggle to win over the post-Trump GOP base to her side even in a head-to-head with Biden.’
The race on the Republican side will begin to solidify in January, when voters in Iowa and New Hampshire will become the first to pick their preferred candidate.
For now, Trump remains the clear frontrunner although Haley has picked up momentum during the past two months.
J.L. Partners polled 984 likely voters nationwide. The results show Donald Trump has a four-point lead over Joe Biden. The results carry a 3.1-point margin of error
The poll, gave Trump a clear lead in a hypothetical 2024 matchup against Biden.
Trump may face legal jeopardy as he battles a string of court cases but he now leads Biden by four points.
The results show the former president winning over independent voters while Biden has seen his support fall within his own party and among women.
When asked who they would vote for if the election were tomorrow, 40 percent of respondents picked Trump and 36 percent chose Biden.
Independents Robert Kennedy Jr. and Cornell West won 4 percent and one percent respectively, while Green candidate Jill Stein’s share was rounded down to zero.