<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Joe Biden's Democrats seem to have escaped a feared drubbing in Tuesday's midterm elections, but it remains to be seen whether that will revive the US president's flagging fortunes until 2024 -- or beyond.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The 79-year-old, who framed the race as a clash between defenders of democracy and the "extremist" camp of Donald Trump, spent election night in back-to-back calls with Democrats savoring their wins in Senate, House and gubernatorial races around the country.</div><div><br></div><div>"Just got off the phone with some of tonight's winners -- including some folks I saw on the road this year," Biden tweeted as the results came in -- alongside a picture of himself in a turtle neck and baseball cap, seeming happy to take at least some of the credit.</div><div><br></div><div>White House staff, according to the former press secretary Jen Psaki, were "giddy and gleeful" as results came in.</div><div><br></div><div>The outcome taking shape was far from ideal for Democrats, who stand to lose the House of Representatives in what Biden has admitted will make his life much more "difficult" -- likely hobbling parts of his agenda.</div><div><br></div><div>But if overnight predictions hold and the Democrats lose the House by a handful of seats, with the Senate still in play, Biden's camp will have vastly outperformed expectations.</div><div><br></div><div>- Choppy waters -</div><div><br></div><div>The president's party has traditionally lost seats in midterm elections and with Biden's approval ratings stuck in the low 40s, and sky-high inflation topping voter concerns, Republicans had high hopes of seizing both chambers of Congress in a "red wave."</div><div><br></div><div>Such a drubbing would have raised tough questions on whether America's oldest-ever president, who turns 80 this month, should run again.</div><div><br></div><div>Instead Biden stands to emerge in much better shape than either of his Democratic predecessors, Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, who both took a hammering at the midterms.</div><div><br></div><div>Nevertheless, Biden will be headed into choppy waters if the House flips.</div><div><br></div><div>In a country whose divisions run deeper than ever, even a longtime senator and moderate Democrat like Biden will likely struggle to find common ground with a Republican-led chamber.</div><div><br></div><div>Large parts of his legislative agenda could utterly stall as a result.</div><div><br></div><div>Another open question is whether a new Republican leadership would keep its promise to aggressively hold the president to account -- which even a slim House majority gives it the power to do.</div><div><br></div><div>That could easily translate into endless congressional investigations targeting Biden, his record and his family.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the loudest voices, far-right Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, has already promised stepped-up scrutiny of Biden's son Hunter, who Republicans accuse of exploiting his father's connections to do business with Ukraine and China.</div><div><br></div><div>- Eyes on 2024 -</div><div><br></div><div>With control of the House, Republicans would also be able to apply considerable budgetary pressure on the president -- with the potential to cut funding to the federal government.</div><div><br></div><div>As for the Senate -- which confers greater powers -- its fate still hangs in the balance.</div><div><br></div><div>But beyond, the big question facing Biden -- and his Democrats -- is who will carry the party's colors into the 2024 White House race.</div><div><br></div><div>Until now the US president has consistently said he intends to seek a second term, and any suggestion to the contrary would have immediately undermined his authority.</div><div><br></div><div>But there is little appetite among the US public -- or within his own party -- for a second White House run by an octogenarian commander in chief.</div><div><br></div><div>Biden leaves Friday on a diplomatic marathon taking him from the COP27 climate conference in Egypt, to Cambodia for an ASEAN summit, and on to Indonesia for the G20 gathering.</div><div><br></div><div>The veteran Democrat may keep America guessing some time yet about his intentions for 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>But with the president far from US shores, his rival Trump will be pressing ahead -- promising a big reveal, widely expected to be a new White House run, next Tuesday in Florida. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>