According to a recent poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nearly two-thirds of Democrats believe that President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and allow the party to nominate a different candidate. This finding contradicts Biden's claim after the debate that "average Democrats" still support him, despite some prominent party members turning against him.

The survey, conducted as Biden attempts to salvage his candidacy following a lackluster debate performance, also highlights a decline in confidence among Democrats regarding his mental capability to effectively serve as president. Only about 3 in 10 Democrats expressed extreme or high confidence in Biden's mental fitness, a slight decrease from 40% in a February poll by AP-NORC.

These poll results exemplify the challenges faced by the 81-year-old president as he tries to silence calls from within his own party to withdraw from the race. Biden must convince Democrats that he is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump. However, the poll was mostly conducted before the recent assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and it remains unclear whether this incident influenced people's views of Biden. The limited interviews conducted after the shooting did not indicate any immediate improvement in Biden's prospects.

As scrutiny increases on Vice President Kamala Harris amid discussions about Biden's potential withdrawal, the poll indicates that her favorability rating is similar to his, though the percentage of Americans with an unfavorable opinion of her is slightly lower.

The poll also suggests that Black Democrats are among Biden's strongest supporters, with approximately half of them believing he should remain in the race, compared to around 3 in 10 white and Hispanic Democrats. Overall, seven in 10 Americans believe Biden should drop out, with Democrats only slightly less likely than Republicans and independents to express this view.

Some of those surveyed expressed concerns about Biden's age, with Democrat Andrew Holcomb, 27, from Denver stating, "I think he's frankly just too old for the job." In contrast, 50-year-old lifelong Democrat Janie Stapleton from Walls, Mississippi, believes that Biden is the "best candidate" for president.

The poll further reveals that about 6 in 10 Americans want Trump to withdraw from the race as well, but this sentiment is less prevalent among Republicans. Additionally, younger Democrats are more inclined to support Biden's withdrawal and express dissatisfaction with his performance, with three-quarters of Democrats under the age of 45 desiring his exit.

The debate seemed to have further eroded satisfaction among Democrats with regards to Biden as their nominee. The number of Democrats expressing dissatisfaction increased to around half, up from about 4 in 10 in a June AP-NORC poll. Conversely, approximately 6 in 10 Republicans emerged from the debate either very or somewhat satisfied with Trump as their candidate. However, due to the limited number of interviews conducted after the assassination attempt, it remains unclear if there has been any noteworthy shift in support for Trump.

Despite these challenges, the poll indicates that Republicans are overwhelmingly convinced of Trump's capacity to win the 2024 election, with 42% believing in his victory compared to a mere 18% who hold this belief for Biden. Among Democrats, only about a third believe Biden has a better chance of winning, while 16% foresee victory for the Republican candidate.

As the race for the presidency intensifies, Biden faces an uphill battle to regain support within his own party and demonstrate that he remains a strong contender against Donald Trump. Meanwhile, public opinion remains divided, and the outcome of the 2024 election remains uncertain.