DOUBTS have risen from the ground about the ability of United States President Mr. Joe Biden to keep up in the presidential contest in the next three months, thanks to the coronavirus he has contracted, and also to his generally failing physical and mental faculties -- as per reports from all over. Having been quarantined following his COVID affectation, Mr. Biden may not be in a position to retain his claim to the Democratic Party’s nominee again. A few days earlier, he had even indicated that Vice President Mrs. Kamla Harris could be the right choice as she is fully qualified to run for the high office. However, the picture within the Democratic Party is quite unclear. For, in every likelihood, two or three other senior Democrats may stake their claims to the nomination in the forthcoming convention. Uncertainty, thus, appears to be on the Democratic Party’s plate at least for now. Among the likely names in the Democratic Party are Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton and Mrs. Michelle Obama. If Mrs. Clinton is an old hand in politics, Mrs. Obama is a fresh face with no baggage to drag her down and back.

 

Yet, in the given political scenario, Mrs. Obama may not get much support from the rank and file of the party as she has never been directly and personally active in the party’s affairs. The party take its own sweet time to decide upon the name of its presidential nominee, all right. But from within the ranks, a demand is swirling up asking for Mr. Joe Biden not to contest again. This is something Mr. Biden may not have the stomach to combat and defeat. He is, of course, a gritty politician, and may not like to be told in this manner the home truth of his unacceptability as a presidential candidate yet again. However, even if Mr. Biden decides not to contest, the Democratic Party will have much trouble in choosing another candidate -- particularly after the assassination attempt on Republican choice and former President Mr. Donald Trump.

 

No matter the stuff coming from the rumour-mill (that the attempt was a fabrication of sorts, drafted and calibrated carefully by his own managers), Mr. Trump’s popularity has surged way ahead of anybody else in the present-day domestic politics of United States. Those who have watched the domestic scene for some time now apprehend that Mr. Trump’s victory in the presidential polls is almost certain -- thanks to the sympathy wave the assassination attempt has given rise to. Currently, the US is passing through tough socio-economic times tinted with political uncertainty. Presidential election will certainly be watched by the world with much interest to know how the country handles its multi-dimensional crisis. The dragging on of the Ukraine conflict or the weakening of the American economy over the past some time, or waning influence of the US in global affairs will be issues on the national agenda. In such a complex situation, both the parties will have to take extra care to choose their respective presidential nominees. Thanks to a general leadership crisis in the American political community, the choices are quite limited, and the US will make to do with the available names none of which has the glamour or grace of some of the old names that once dominated the political scenario.

 

This will make watching American electoral politics extremely educative, since the coming elections will decide how America deals with these crises through presidential elections. Of course, the US is also known for its political resilience. If that quality makes the difference, then the picture would be brighter than now. What matters more, however, is the ‘if’ factor.