President, Ad Interim
By
Leonard Zwelling
There are many in the media business who are selling the election in November as one of great consequence. Does the country want to return to the days of 2018 or move forward to a new era?
The media, which is extremely biased as we saw during the debate, is warning that electing Mr. Trump would be a huge step backwards and that Ms. Harris represents the future. I think this is all wrong.
First, as a reader has pointed out, Mr. Biden is running on very few cylinders and Ms. Harris may already be calling many of the shots in the White House. In fact, I suspect, Mr. Biden and his staff are still in charge even as he has to take many naps. Right now, the Biden White House is winding down with staff carrying the load. Nothing of what Ms. Harris might do can be predicted from the current actions of this White House.
Second, the next President, no matter who is elected, will simply be a bridge to something new.
If Mr. Trump is elected, and serves out his term, he, not President Biden, will be the oldest occupant of the Oval Office in history. Given Mr. Trump’s health habits and diet, it is not unreasonable to consider that J. D. Vance may ascend to the presidency at some time between Election Day 2024 and 2028. He could be among the youngest persons to hold the office depending on when and if he ascends. Either way, the MAGA doctrine does not have staying power without Mr. Trump to lead it. Even if he lasts until 2028, that should be the end of MAGA as a host of young Republican governors vie for the presidency assuming Trump willingly gives it up this time. The aspiring Republicans are not MAGAtts. They will return to traditional Republican values of a strong defense, self-governing economy, and contraction of social programs.
If Ms. Harris wins, that should end MAGA for good, but start nothing new. She is a great salesperson, but for what? I still have no idea what her ideas are that would alter her course from that of Joe Biden. If she presses the progressive agenda, she will surely lose trying to get re-elected.
The next President will be challenged on the international front from Russia, China, and Iran. What are her plans? What are his? Trump says he can end the Gaza War and the Ukraine War. How?
I believe no matter which one of these “less than” candidates win, they will simply act as an ad interim bridge to the future. Trump will undoubtedly try to pump up the influence of the MAGA agenda, but the country at-large is not going that way. There are more immigrants and they will keep coming. Calling people names is not the same as actually having an idea. I know, I know, he has a concept of an idea to improve health care after trying countless times to get rid of ObamaCare which actually helps people.
If she wins, it will force both parties to decide on new directions. The Republicans can dump MAGA once and for all and Democrats are going to have to discover a way to lead without raising taxes on the middle class.
Whoever is the next president will be an ad interim representative of his or her party in a very divided country on the cusp of playing a new role in the world.
Consider this when you vote. There’s a lot up for grabs, but it will only be temporary. The real course of the country will be decided in four years, if we are still speaking to one another.
