As his first, up-and-down year as president nears its end, Joe Biden really wants you to know he plans to run for a second term in 2024. He reiterated his intentions in an ABC News interview last week, while making the requisite hedge that a reelection bid depended on him being “in good health.”

Biden doesn’t actually have to talk about 2024 so early in his presidency. The 2022 midterms over ten months from now will mark the beginning of the 2024 cycle, and even then, successful presidential candidates — particularly those with the advantage of incumbency — have waited later than that to announce formally.

So why is Biden antsy about making sure everyone knows he’s already wearing his running shoes? There are five pretty good reasons:

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