'Deaf ears': GOP strategist warns his party's 2024 tactic is going to backfire

Republicans have adopted a strategy for 2024 that focuses on President Joe Biden's advanced age and gaffes to the press. But according to a Republican strategist, that strategy will backfire.

In an op-ed this Thursday, Alex Conant contends that Republicans are sorely mistaken if they think voters "will not reelect a geriatric politician."

"As a Republican strategist who has bluntly tried to make the case for generational change against an opposing presidential candidate, I can tell you it doesn’t really work," Conant writes.

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Conant points out that Democrats are having anxiety over Special Counsel Robert Hur's report that characterized Biden to be an “elderly man with a poor memory” but adds that there is "very little evidence" that shows voters care all that much about a candidate's age.

"The record is clear, albeit depressing: One is hard pressed to identify a single president, governor or senator who lost reelection because voters thought they were too old. And that’s despite many younger challengers leveling that attack," he writes.

"Why? Because a politician’s personal traits — including age, honesty and fidelity — only become salient campaign issues when they are tied to real-world matters that directly impact voters. In most cases, if elected leaders are advancing policies popular with their constituents, voters are willing to look past personal shortcomings and give them another term."

Conant also pointed out that Trump himself seems to be "instinctively" aware that most voters simply don't vote based on age.

"While conservative media takes delight in tracking Biden’s senior moments, the 77-year-old Trump seems to instinctively understand that it’s not his best line of attack," he wrote. "For example, following the Hur report on the handling of classified documents, Trump’s reaction focused not on Biden’s memory but on the appearance of a double standard in the justice system. While Trump makes light of Biden’s gaffes, his main message focuses on his own personal grievances and issues voters care about, including immigration."

Read the full op-ed at Politico.