So, what can we expect from 2024? To be sure, it will be dominated by all things political. There are the presidential primaries that likely will be a rematch of the two candidates from 2020 that a majority of American dread. Both are superannuated and have worn thin on many, even on some inclined to vote one or the other.
Absent some remarkable turn of events, the Democrats seem intent to renominate their candidate and think he is the only choice to defeat his likely Republican opponent, whom they utterly despise. In this case hatred of the other guy—pardon the pun—trumps the utter incompetence of their guy.
Meanwhile, unless the Republican favorite is convicted of a felony in one of his many politically inspired tribunals, he appears to have the inside lane heading into the nomination season and will oppose a man whom GOP voters think is not only a doddering old fool, but a crook on the take. In that case, the doltish nature of the other guy is far worse than the excessive drama, controversy, and ill manners that accompany their favorite candidate everywhere he goes.
In all of this you would hope that the center of the discussion would be what is best for the American people, personalities aside. Unfortunately, in today’s politics, we’re stuck with this stubborn reality. It’s always about the candidate’s persona. And in the case of the two presidential frontrunners, personalities tend to dominate the decision making of voters. To be sure, both political wings care about their ideological preferences and see in their favored frontrunner the hope that each in his own way will conform to what respective voting blocs want. But will there be even the slightest crack in the wall that divides us in America for a glimmer of light to peek through to illuminate the major issues before us? It’s doubtful.
So, what should we expect? Unfortunately, this contest will be dominated by personal attacks, accusations, and media bias from both sides. We are likely to get more enlightened discussion on the Cartoon Network than from the talking heads on cable news. Indeed, a more serious discussion over our pathetic economy will likely be found on the Home Shopping Network than between the candidates.
Both sides seem disinclined to do anything about our burgeoning debt. We need to cut spending. No one will say where. One side says we can control debt by spending more and the other says we can reduce the debt by talking more. Both lack the will. And therefore, we will likely see nothing occur until there’s an economic crash.
On foreign policy, one side dabbles in national security that mocks any commitment to resolve issues while the other wants to back away from the real threats abroad, convinced that if you let other people settle their scores, it will never show up on your shores. How did that work for us in WWII?
And of course, laced into the debate—I use the term lightly here—will be a bevy of social issues that range from gender-based lunacy to race-based excuses for practically every issue we face in the country. In America we no longer think. We feel. And many of us feel sick in our stomachs with all of it, every ounce.
So, what will be the result of all of this? In a word, division. The 2024 election will resolve nothing. It appears that if the Democrat wins, the leadership of the country will be vested in someone who is flatly incapable of the challenges ahead. If the Republican wins, the same awful and vengeful forces that disrupted his first term will follow in his second. As a result, no matter which side wins, we are in for 48 months of continuous wrangling, disharmony, and dysfunction. To be sure the winning side may see some of their hoped-for solutions, but absent winning majorities in Congress, deadlock will be Le plat principal. And that will be hard to digest for many people who want the table set with serious policy solutions.
In this environment, as can be expected, very few things will be addressed to reverse the course our nation is on. Our debt will continue to grow out of sight, making Jack’s beanstalk look like a common garden weed. The idiocy concerning national security will get worse while precious little is done to address our flagging national defense posture. Nor will there be any constructive policy to deal with the rising challenge of China to our vital national interests. We can hardly rein in TikTok, much less Chinese intellectual property theft. It’s a sad state of affairs. Yet the march of time pipes a tune pacing us into 2024.
It’s enough to make 2023 look better.
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