The upcoming presidential election in the world’s first democracy has all the hallmarks of a 2020 replay: Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump, an exhausting duel between two candidates who resist retirement and still want to say their last word. The current president confirmed this week what was an open secret. He appears to be “finishing the work he started” and defending democracy against the populist and nationalist threat embodied by his rival. Despite what is at stake, the health of the republic, the announcement has not sparked much enthusiasm. Biden favors campaigning from the White House. Electoral inertia usually leads to two terms, not just one, being awarded to presidents. For him, it’s not so much about winning, but not about losing. However, his popularity ratings are low. It has not achieved its main goal of reducing polarization, i.e. the deep division of the country into two parallel and confrontational worlds. Politics is still toxic. In return, Biden has been able to stimulate the economy, through the passage of several economic stimulus bills, with protectionist effects in the rest of the world, and has turned the Republican tide in the legislature. The most significant success that can be exhibited has been in foreign policy, the success of weaving and leading a coalition of forty countries to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine. At home, 70% of citizens think that in their eighties they should not strive for the most strenuous job in the world. Therefore, in his announcement, the favored Democrat has emphasized the figure of Kamala Harris, with whom he will work again. The Vice President is very effective in campaigning, but her skills in governing don’t compare to her skill in meetings, something that would be a concern if she were to take the reins of the presidency. He lacks his boss’s pragmatic instinct. Harris is drawing the votes of women, youth and members of the African American minority, all very important in stopping Trump, an aspiring candidate with no rules. The former president wants revenge and uses the long list of pending lawsuits to his advantage, as if he were a victim of the system. The most sensible thing is that Joe Biden would have stepped back to support a young and moderate Democratic nominee. But power is addictive and changes even someone as experienced as the current president.
Source: La Verdad
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
