The world teetered on the brink of catastrophe for nearly two weeks during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy took a bold stand by imposing a blockade on Cuba after American surveillance uncovered Soviet missile installations being constructed on the island. This decisive action averted a potential nuclear war when the Soviet Union ultimately withdrew its ships, solidifying Kennedy’s reputation as a steadfast leader willing to confront the Soviet threat head-on.
The tension of those days was palpable, with First Lady Jackie Kennedy famously reflecting on the sleeplessness that defined that period. “It seemed there was no waking or sleeping,” she recalled, encapsulating the relentless pressure faced by the administration.
Fast forward to the present, a recent poll conducted for DailyMail.com reveals that only a quarter of voters believe President Joe Biden possesses the stamina necessary to endure a similar crisis, remaining vigilant for 48 consecutive hours if needed. Concerns about his advancing age and its potential impact on his presidential duties have grown since the last poll conducted in March.
These worries arise amidst mounting calls for Biden to reconsider his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. The pressure intensified following a challenging debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta, Georgia, which left many questioning Biden’s capability to handle the rigors of the presidency.
It found that voters have become more concerned that his advancing age will impair his ability to do the job since we last asked the question in March.
J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters on whether Biden could manage to fufill his presidential duties, such as absorbing national security briefings and keeping up with Vladimir Putin
And it comes when he is under intense pressure to step down from the Democratic presidential nomination after a disastrous presidential debate with Donald Trump in Atlanta, Georgia.
This week Biden even addressed his advanced age during a meeting with Democratic governors.
Sources said he told them his aides would stop scheduling events after 8 p.m. so that he can get more sleep.
When J.L. Partners asked 1000 likely voters whether they thought Biden could stay up through a Cuban Missile-type Crisis only 24 percent said yes.
Only 38 percent said they believed he could remember the name of a world leader with whom he was talking (down from 46 percent in March), with a similar number saying they believed he could digest his daily national security briefings (down from 43 percent.
Some 37 percent said they believed he could make it through a one-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (from 43 percent in March).
And only 35 percent believe he could remember the names of key staff (from 40 percent).
Yet whoever is sworn in as president in January will face a string of national security crises and increasing global uncertainty.
The war in Ukraine will be approaching its third anniversary, an increasingly assertive China is flexing its muscles across the Indo-Pacific region, and the Middle East will still be measuring the fall-out of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
President Joe Biden is fighting for his political life after a poor debate showing in Atlanta. He is seen here in the Situation Room with his national security team in January
Whoever wins in November faces an uncertain world. Here, Israel’s Iron Dome can be seen intercepting a missile fired from south Lebanon
The war in Ukraine rumbles on. Soldiers test a UR-77 demining vehicle in Donetsk oblast
In March, voters said Trump would be better able to handle a range of duties than Biden
The result is that four in 10 likely voters in our poll said they feared Biden’s age increased the chances of an attack on the U.S.
James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners, said the numbers were terrible for Biden.
‘What voters are looking for most from their politicians is strength: Strength in standing up for America, strength in facing down America’s adversaries, strength in getting things done domestically,’ he said.
‘Biden was already performing badly on that metric, now he is performing catastrophically.
‘It has taken focus away from Trump’s conviction and completely dampened any negative effect of that. Biden’s strategic aim—remind voters of Trump’s negatives through the aftermath of the conviction and then the debate—has failed.
‘If voters do not think you can do the job, nothing matters – even the unpopularity of your opponent.’
The results of the online poll were complemented with a poll of 1000 likely voters that included phone calls.
It showed that Trump has extended his lead over Biden, from four percentage points in March, to six points now.
