Vox: “Biden was already polling well with the group before the pandemic hit. While it’s true that seniors are especially vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, political science experts told Vox there’s much more at play. Older voters have seen more presidents in action. The polls could be telling us that many voters over 65 just don’t like Trump’s extremely unconventional presidency, marked by a daily barrage of tweetstorms and increased political polarization. ‘Part of why they turned away from Trump is there’s too much shaking up in Washington,’ Murray said. Trump isn’t getting much traction by painting the more moderate Biden — who is 77 and has a decades-long track record in public service — as a vessel for the ‘radical left,’ experts say.”

“While Biden’s history of gaffes may provide fodder for the Trump campaign and political pundits alike, older voters may not care about it too much. ‘Biden harkens from an era before pre-programmed politicians,’ Wasserman told Vox. ‘The fact he commits lots of gaffes makes him human in the eyes of a lot of older voters who remember the time when politicians could say what they wanted to say.’ Beyond any sort of connection seniors may feel with the former vice president, Biden is hammering home issues that elderly voters care about: protecting Social Security and Medicare, lowering prescription drug costs, and setting up a coordinated federal response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Biden campaign is also organizing older voters with biweekly senior to senior phone banks, encouraging them to make a plan to vote. Covid-19 has also materially changed the lives of a lot of seniors. Older voters can no longer ‘fly across the country to see their grandkids,’ said Florida Democratic strategist Steve Schale.”