ADA, Ohio -- I miss Barack Obama. I was 10 years old when he was elected. He will always be the president of my childhood. His optimism and his inclusivity made me fall in love with politics. These qualities have been sorely lacking in President Donald Trump, and I am hopeful that among the many Democrats vying for the nomination, several are able to measure up to President Obama.

One thing is clear to me and many in my generation. To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen: “Joe Biden is no Barack Obama.” Although Biden is the front-runner and served as Obama’s vice president, he is a relic of the past, rather than the heir-apparent.

In the first Democratic debate, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California was right to suggest that it is time to pass the torch to a new generation. A suddenly “woke” Joe Biden can be a difficult proposition to buy, and while I miss the Obama presidency, Joe Biden is not the person to carry the torch.

Cassandra Krencisz is a rising senior at Ohio Northern University majoring in political science and communications.

Biden has been in politics for 46 years. When he ran for president in 1988, my parents were not yet eligible to vote. Biden failed in 1988 and he failed in 2008. He has a penchant for gaffes and has offered little in the way of charting a bold future.

His long record is checkered with questionable decision-making. His handling of Anita Hill’s allegations, his voting to authorize the Iraq war, his chumminess with segregationists, his hard-line stances on criminal justice reform, and his close relationship with the banking industry have largely stayed out of the public’s eye. When confronted with several of these issues in the Democratic debates, his responses have ranged from being flustered to going on the attack to summoning his relationship with Barack Obama. Biden’s own record matters, and to voters like myself, his past positions make it hard to enthusiastically support him today.

In some ways, Joe Biden is much like Hillary Clinton in 2007. While Clinton brought years of experience in presidential politics, Obama brought a message of hope. Her years of experience came with a lot of baggage. Obama was a breath of fresh air in a field where Hillary Clinton was the “presumptive nominee.” He did not come from a political dynasty. He offered optimism in the midst of an unpopular “war on terror” and the onset of the Great Recession. Obama also recognized the historic nature of his candidacy — seeking to become the nation’s first African-American president.

Today, I believe that South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the one who can carry the Obama torch. He is all that Donald Trump is not, holding many of the same characteristics that Obama possessed in 2007. He is young, charismatic, compassionate and smart. He has had a positive campaign, spreading a message of hope and unity and, like Obama, he recognizes the historic nature of his candidacy — as he seeks to be become the nation’s first openly gay president.

Buttigieg was praised after the second Democratic debate for standing out as the most mature among the candidates, proving to the nation that, despite his young age, he can be presidential. His ability to bring others together is an attractive feature during this time of political division.

P.R. Lockhart, a staff writer for Vox.com, writes that “During the 2018 midterms, turnout from Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X narrowly eclipsed that of boomers and older generations, marking the second election cycle in a row where younger voters participated more than their elders.”

Buttigieg’s quick wit, vigor, and idealism largely align with younger voters. By contrast, Biden has had difficulty among young people.

In the Quinnipiac poll released July 29, Biden does his best with those aged 65 or older (47 percent favorable) and his worst with those ages 18 to 49 (27 percent favorable). It is the support of older voters that is largely responsible for Biden’s status as the front-runner.

While Biden has largely enjoyed his connection to the Obama legacy among Democrats, the fact remains that Biden is not Obama. While I miss President Obama, I also want a president who is going to propel us forward and help secure a future that will be more inclusive for all. Joe Biden played his part as President Obama’s sidekick. He is not the future, but an artifact of the past. It is imperative that Democrats select a candidate that gets them “fired up and ready to go.”

Cassandra Krencisz, originally from Brunswick, Ohio, is a rising senior at Ohio Northern University majoring in political science and communications.

***********************

Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the “Follow” option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com.