Last week’s presidential debate between Biden and Trump felt symbolic in one of the worst senses of the word. It was like getting slapped in the face for 90 minutes with the reality of how unjust the world can be.
And yet, the calamity is not a complete surprise. Ask the right people and they’ll give you a rundown of the evil and incompetence that has been weaving its way into nearly all levels of US political leadership for years. Here at Women’s Agenda, we cover this frequently, and as an American citizen, I feel compelled to comment.
On Thursday, we watched two elderly and out-of-touch white men competing in a country of 330 million people to become top dog. They spent more time arguing over who’s better at golf, than addressing urgent issues like access to childcare.
It’s crossroads moments like this that have the power to force us into a collective state of unease. And as we contend with our disheartening options, the question of whether to hold out hope takes centre stage.
If re-elected, Biden would be 82 years old at the start of his second term and if elected again, Trump would be 78 years old at the start of his second term.
They were already the oldest candidates to ever run for office in the US during their first runaround for president, four years ago.
Even before that when Trump was running for president against Hillary Clinton, chaos was rampant, as we all had to watch the uneducated reality TV host fight to be president.
The first time I was able to vote in a US election, I had the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, which was also symbolic in an unsettling way.
I got to vote for a female candidate for the first time in US history, and yet, a deeply misogynistic man, who makes comments like “grab em by the pussy”, was put into office instead. And not only that, he proceeded to make political decisions that led to my freedoms as a woman to become less than that of my mother’s and grandmother’s generation.
Within the US, myself and every other woman no longer has the guaranteed right to make decisions over our own bodies.
As Roe v Wade was diminished, American women were forced to contend with a deeply personal war against themselves and lawmakers– one which I am still grappling with over here in Australia, as I hear more and more horrific stories of women back home trying to get abortions and dealing with life-altering consequences.
To top off the unsettling symbolism in this political graveyard, watching two elderly men argue like schoolchildren last week as they compete to become president of my country feels insulting at best.
As a young American woman, it’s an insult to my future, and the future of every other young person who genuinely feels in their bones that they want to make a positive impact on this world– and yes, I say world because, like it or not, the US plays a major role in global politics and the consequences of our poor decisions can be far-reaching.
Women’s safety and reproductive freedoms, gun violence, climate change, the violence against Palestinians, the war in Ukraine, LGBTQI+ right and freedoms, the rise of AI and the state of the economy— all of these issues need passionate leadership from those who have the drive and energy to tackle them.
Despite the picture painted at Thursday’s debate, this kind of youthful leadership isn’t lacking in the world, it just needs better support to bring it to the forefront— particularly in the US.
Echoing what I hear many of my American friends and family asking: “In a country of 330 million people, surely we can find two better candidates, right?”
This question is coming from both sides of nearly every table. Male and female voters. Younger and older voters. Liberal and conservative voters.
In a Morning Consult poll, 60 per cent of respondents, Republicans and Democrats, said president Biden should be replaced by his party for November’s election, while another 11 per cent were unsure.
“Confused. Frail. Dementia”, were among the words that Democratic-leaning voters are using to describe Biden’s lacklustre performance on Thursday, according to a Politico report.
Following the failed debate, reports are out that Biden is considering stepping down, or at least has Democrats in his circle who might persuade him to leave for the good of the party.
While it wouldn’t be easy for the Democrats to remove and replace Biden at this stage of the election cycle, it’s still possible— as long as he chooses to step down.
His most logical successor would be Vice President Kamala Harris, but this isn’t automatic. Other possible candidates include California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Meanwhile, polls show it doesn’t seem to matter who the Democratic candidate is when it comes to Trump voters. Data for Progress post-debate poll found no indication that any other Democrat would perform better against Trump in November.
Trump voters will stand by their ignorance. It’s clear there’s a proportion of the US population who have decided their support for Trump is unwavering. Amid his felony charges and long history of hatred, I’ve begun to wonder if there’s anything that could ever open the minds and hearts of MAGA people.
And yet, I refuse to believe that the majority of the US population wants to watch the nation crash and burn at the next election.
It’s so easy to joke about the absurdity of US politics– I do it too– but underneath the surface of it all, change is clawing at the surface. We must help it break through.
The chance for young, passionate leadership hasn’t expired yet. Young leaders in the US can still be given more of a position and platform to change the country’s narrative.
Politics reflects the state of the world back to us, and however bleak this may seem, I’m holding out hope that my political leaders start symbolising progress.