Time Out
There is an old political saying; “We can walk and chew gum at the same time”. You often hear it when political maneuvering seems to outweigh solving the National problems. Sure, Democrats and Republicans are fighting “tit for tat” in the media, but they got together to reach a real solution to the illegal immigration problem. They “chewed and walked”; at least they did for a while. But then, well, they couldn’t. Politics overwhelmed “the good”, and the immigration deal fell apart.
The world knows it. The United States called a “time out”. We are busy trying to elect a President. A lot of what goes on in the “world” is now neglected by the “leader of the free world”. We’re so busy running, we can’t manage to chew, at least, that’s what usually happens about this time.
Cutting the Knot
Politics have been overwhelming for the past month or so. I mean, look at what’s happened. The serving President, Joe Biden, had a terrible, awful, horrible, debate performance, that raised questions about his ability to serve four more years as an octogenarian. For weeks after, the Nation watched the Democratic Party squirm whether to keep Biden or risk chaos finding a new candidate. Meanwhile, the ex-President, challenging to return to the White House, looked unbeatable; even more so after surviving an assassination attempt and with a “glorious” Republican convention.
Then Biden himself cut the “Gordian” knot. In an act of masterful political timing, thirty-six hours after Trump stepped off of the convention stage; Biden withdrew from the race, and threw his whole Party’s political apparatus behind his Vice President. Within two days, Harris consolidated the nomination. There were no “mini-primaries”, no showcase of future Democratic talent, no time for the normal Democratic chaos. All of the “Young Turks” immediately fell in line with Harris. And even though Joe Manchin was “salty”, at first looking for votes in the convention; he then realized that there were no votes to gain.
Biden’s Gift
The entire script of the 2024 Presidential election was flipped. And the citizens of the United States were completely absorbed in the drama. We still are.
Joe Biden is a politician; he’s been running for office for fifty-four years. It was a great personal sacrifice to give up the “prize” of the Presidency. But it did allow him the “gift” of being out of the spotlight. The media, the citizens, the world are watching Trump and Harris. Joe Biden gets the gift of obscurity. For the last six months of his administration, he can “get things done”, without the constant drone of shouted questions and political intrigue. Biden can focus on the “good”; he can chew while everyone else is busy running (for office).
Middle East
And there’s a lot to digest. In the Middle East, Israel seems determined to kill every Hamas member, regardless of the cost to the surrounding Palestinian population. They are bombing hospitals and schools, and even assassinating Hamas leaders in foreign capitals (and Hezbollah leaders as well). Iran is poised to launch a retaliatory attack, one that’s not likely to be neutralized by the combined defenses of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United States, that worked so well before.
Yet there still are ceasefire talks going on. Three of the four parties (Hamas, Iran, the United States) are agreed on the Israeli structured plan. Only Israel itself is holding out, delaying (to kill as many more Hamas leaders as possible, I presume). Biden still has hope for some settlement, some avoidance of a greater Middle East conflict that could consume the region. It would be a pinnacle foreign policy moment for his Presidency.
Holding Firm
Biden has held firm in his support for Ukraine. What was the summer of retrenchment, with Ukrainian forces slowly being pushed back by Russian forces, altered last week. Ukraine turned the tables, invading into “Mother Russia” itself. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy again disproved the myth of the Russia military juggernaut, gaining a “chip” for the negotiations that are sure to come. Again, Biden proved his point. Ukraine will not “fall” on his watch.
And what about the border problem, left adrift after the political solution failed? Right now, the Customs and Border Protection division of Homeland Security reports the LOWEST number of “encounters” with migrants in the last four years, down by more than half from the beginning of 2024 (from over 300,000 for December 2023, to 130,000 in June – CBP).
Oh, and what about that other campaign issue, the economy? Let’s see: the Dow Jones, after an unnerving 1000 point drop, is back above 40,000 (the NASDAQ and S&P are back up as well). Inflation is still slowing, so much so, that the Federal Reserve Board is likely to lower interest rates in their next meeting. Biden earned his “soft landing” from Covid, first averting a Covid depression, and now controlling a post-Covid inflation. It hasn’t been easy, for him or for the American public; but it clearly is working.
Biden’s on the job, and he’s still getting things done while the rest of us are focused on November 5th. As American politicians are busy running; he’s busy chewing through America’s problems.
