In just over a year, our American neighbors will go to the polls, and the two would-be opponents will be neck-and-neck.
A year in politics is both long and very short, but if the last week were to set a trend, it would clearly be favorable for Joe Biden.
The limits of violence and intimidation
If you read me regularly, you know that I am concerned about American democracy.
It’s difficult to remain unimpressed by the growing number of Americans who are dissatisfied with their democracy or simply no longer care about it.
Donald Trump made himself the vehicle of this disappointment and rejection and was not afraid to flout the rules, insult, appeal to the far right and even defy the courts.
Last week the judiciary demonstrated once again that it is an effective shield in these difficult times.
After the 45th President knowingly provoked the judges responsible for the cases brought against him, he obtained a second silence order, a fine and a stern warning. If he holds out, he will find out the sentence behind bars.
- Listen to the American political column with Professor Luc Laliberté about QUB radio :
Worse, this time in Georgia, two of his former lawyers, who were among the nineteen defendants, decided to plead guilty.
What should worry Donald Trump is that his two former allies received ridiculous sentences given the seriousness of their crimes. For what? Because they now agree to work together.
At the end of this painful week, Donald Trump saw his favorite candidate for Speaker of the House of Representatives brutally rejected.
Other elected Republicans condemned the Jordan clan’s intimidation and threats. It seems that we are finally finding the courage to resist mafia practices and no longer cower.
While Republicans tore each other apart and paralyzed Congress, Joe Biden faced a major challenge.
The value of experience
It is far too early to confirm that Joe Biden will succeed in avoiding escalation while maintaining solidarity with Israel. However, one would be dishonest to say that he was not up to the task.
An old hand in international affairs, he was empathetic, decisive and determined. Whether it was his speech in Israel or the next day in the Oval Office, he gave quite possibly the two best speeches of his entire political career.
Both internationally and at home, Biden was able to present himself as a champion of democracy. To those who mentioned his advanced age, he responded with the wisdom of experience that anger is often a bad advisor.
I don’t know if Biden and the United States’ leadership is strong enough in 2023, but as a Canadian and a Quebecer, the choice between his vision and Trump’s seems easy.
