Campaign in the ninth decade

Za "Time" from New York

At one of the Publix supermarket checkout counters in Coral Gables, an upscale Miami suburb with single-family homes hidden behind long rows of palm trees, customers waiting in line to pay recently could see a temporary citizen putting goods into bags in slow motion while holding on with his other hand. for the edge of the counter. Thinking it was a homeless man fed up of begging outside the store for a few dollars, the customer tolerated the misappropriation for a while, but as the pile of what had already been paid for dwindled, she asked the cashier to protect her from the intruder, to which the saleswoman, with a kind smile, explained that the old man actually helps in packing the goods, for which he gets paid.

photo: ap

TRUMP AND BILLIONS

It would probably be easier for Publix to have someone more nimble for the job, but none of those who were impatiently waiting to get paid could say that, discrimination based on age is strictly prohibited, and the stores are staffed by those who can be found on the labor market.

Therefore, it is not unusual that in the presidential race, by all accounts, the two oldest candidates in the history of the American elections for the White House, Joseph Biden and Donald Trump, will face each other, regardless of the fact that the words from the report of the special prosecutor Robert Hurr are ringing in the ears of the voters that the former "an elderly man with a bad memory", although they are no less afraid of the latter's words that he would not protect NATO members who do not pay their bills, but would encourage Russia to do "whatever" to them wants". This is what the political market offers at the moment, which shows that Trump currently has more influence than Biden himself in some state affairs.

This primarily refers to the $95 billion security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which the president forwarded to Congress for adoption in October 2023. After long, torturous negotiations, recesses, recesses, holidays and Republican conditioning, the bill recently passed the Senate, but unless something fundamentally changes, it will be the end of the road because House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to put it on the floor. voting. Why? Because Donald Trump calls Republicans sitting in Congress, persuades, threatens, blackmails and thus decides on the main priority of American foreign policy, which is why this country loses credibility in the eyes of its allies, because it is unable to fulfill the promises made.

It is similar with the agreement on the security of the southern border, where during the past eleven months as many as two million people have been arrested for illegal crossings. Republicans continuously repeated that the adoption of stricter regulations on asylum is a condition for the adoption of the aid package to Ukraine, and when the Democrats showed their willingness to reach a compromise, they gave up on all that, and the mentioned Johnson said that the bill they made " weak" and insufficient to end the "presidential border disaster". Why is he saying that? Because Trump repeatedly told the Republicans who wanted to support this proposal that during the next re-election for a seat in Congress, they will appoint party opponents, so after that they will only be able to see this building from the outside, together with tourists.

Thus, the members of the House of Representatives welcomed the second anniversary of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which was repeatedly promised help "as long as it is needed", on a two-week vacation, while those who were given such assurances are groaning under the attacks of Russian forces without enough weapons, ammunition, missiles and money to maintain the war-ravaged economy. Ukraine received enough military aid from America not to lose the war, but not enough to win the conflict.

If it's any consolation to Kiev, those sitting in Congress will return to their seats just two days before the partial government shutdown expires, prompting President Biden to call an emergency meeting with key congressional leaders. Making the normal functioning of the state more difficult is a proven Republican strategy, because they believe that citizens will blame those in power because of it. The image of the Republican power to prevent the implementation of key state priorities with a thin majority in the House of Representatives is further reinforced by the low level of support enjoyed by President Joseph Biden.

SALARIES AND RATINGS

The latest public opinion poll conducted by CNN shows that Biden currently has the support of only 39 percent of voters, which is less than what Trump had during the same period of his term. It is unnecessary to remind how popular the previous president was and how he passed the elections with little trust from the citizens. Paradoxically, Trump is currently ahead of Biden, so if elections were held now, 49 would vote for him, while 45 percent of voters would choose Biden. Of course, both Democrats and Republicans want their party's candidate to win, but, what is particularly interesting, some of them would be ready to vote for a rival candidate if their party nominates Trump or Biden. No one can explain why the popularity of the current president is so low.

All economic parameters are good, the unemployment rate is insignificant, new jobs are being created, inflation is slowing down, prices are no longer wild, but citizens still do not feel that things are under control. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey points to steady progress, but the numbers are adamant that shoppers' sense of security is only halfway between where it was before the pandemic broke out and the worst period in 2022. The painful experiences of uncertainty are hard to forget, there is a huge gap between the state of affairs and the perception of citizens, so very often you can hear that the economy was in a better state during Trump's rule, which is essentially not true. Fuel is now more expensive, rents have gone up, you pay much more for food, but wages have also increased. Not as much as the cost of living, but it's delusional to expect a gallon of gas to be available for less than a dollar any time soon. Those times are gone forever, Donald Trump, or anyone like him, can't change that, no matter how conservative circles, who share his beliefs, try to turn things back.

Thus, the Supreme Court of Alabama, where the judges are Republican, after a lawsuit over an incident in which IVF tubes were broken, ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children. Despite the fact that medicine has accurately described all stages of pregnancy, Judge Jay Mitchell referred in his decision to religious books and parts of the Constitution that speak about the rights of unborn children. Because of this, several clinics have already closed their doors to patients who previously spent thousands of dollars on examinations and drugs. If couples from Alabama were to travel a few hundred miles to another part of the country and exercise their right to be parents, they could find themselves on the receiving end of local laws, just as those who seek to terminate pregnancies in states where it is illegal risk liability. if they do it in the neighborhood.

If that logic were to be followed, it seems that residents of the suburbs of Cincinnati, Indiana, could find themselves in court for smoking marijuana that is legal in the suburbs of that same city in neighboring Ohio. In America, there is a huge number of things that the rest of the world lags behind, but also remnants of something that much more backward countries got rid of.

MEMORY AND REASONING

The chances of a face-off between Trump and Biden are even higher after Trump convincingly defeated Nikki Haley in the party elections in South Carolina, her state, where she has never lost an election before, thus proving that she will win the largest number of votes until the end of the Republican presidential election. presidential candidate. The only real obstacle for him may be a federal indictment for tampering with the election results before the court in Washington, although Biden is not yet the final choice of his party, as the voices of the Democrats are increasingly heard that he may have to look for another candidate.

It is possible that Biden occasionally has problems with his memory, but not with his judgment, so the presidential election is at the same time a decision on whether there will be someone at the head of the country who speaks to encourage the world dictator to attack America's allies, thus further strengthening conservative circles which already require things like general restrictions on the right to abortion, which the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling is on the trail of.

Remembering is important, but only reflection can save the American people from concluding that both presidential candidates are actually nine months older than what their birth certificates say, including that Publix temp worker, slowly stacking merchandise at the pace of a man in his prime. customers' purses, because he doesn't want to beg outside the store door for a few dollars.