Now that Joe Biden has been removed from the Presidential race, even appearing from the Oval Office to tell us in vagaries about the reasons why, the American public must now address what kind of President they really want.
With Kamala Harris stepping into the Democratic forefront, there is building excitement on the Left to anoint her as the new standard bearer. Whether she will actually be the Democratic nominee is yet to be seen; the winds of politics blow in very strange ways these days.
The issues going forward can be seen as a gaggle of complicated situations, or simply the application of common sense.
Is the country so turned off by Trump, especially his carrying of felony convictions, that they would turn to a Kamala Harris, whose liberal pedigree cannot be denied?
The answer to that question can only be plumbed by looking at some basic voting patterns. A conspiracy theorist would scoff at this believing that the “elites” pick whom will be the President, and that our votes are simply a show.
But the American people have shown that they are willing to shift their party vote if a candidate comes along who they believe can bring positive change to the country. A Jimmy Carter administration, well-intentioned but poor in the execution of its goals, was replaced by a Ronald Reagan—a tectonic shift away from liberal policies.
George Bush, Sr. was replaced by a Bill Clinton—and then came George W. Bush. So, the electorate in America sometimes moves mysteriously, shifting from more conservative policies to more liberal policies and vice versa.
Let us then suppose that Kamala Harris is indeed the Democratic nominee who will face Donald Trump. No one would argue that these two candidates have incredibly different worldviews, and indeed policies.
It not unfair to point out that Harris was once called the “Border Czar” assigned to handling, in particular, the masses of people coming across the border illegally (yes, when you come into a country without being vetted or invited, you are “illegal.”). What was the result and effect of her leadership in this area? A round number would be something like 8 million people crossing the US southern border under her watch. Now, while some will be appalled by this figure, others will shrug and say, “Hey, these people are coming to escape oppression and build a better life—let them come.” Then, of course, there will be others that will say that they will cast their vote for Harris simply because they hate Trump.
Harris is also the first Vice President to visit an abortion clinic. Again, there will be a segment of the electorate that will be appalled, believing that the Vice President of the United States would have the gall to visit what they would call a “murder mill,” while others would see it as a brave and bold step to defend “women’s health rights.”
Yet, when it comes to Presidential elections, the American voting public has shown a propensity for putting aside some of their partisan beliefs in order to vote for the candidate that they would see as the “overall positive” leader.
However, we now live in a country quite different than thirty years ago, or even ten years ago. What about transgenderism? Was this an issue during the Carter campaign, or that of Reagan? Indeed, even of Obama? Then there are the foreign policy issues: How much support should be given to Israel? What about Ukraine? Should we continue funding a war, by billions, that seems to be unwinnable?
Many of these issues cross party lines, so it is, of course, up to the American people to decide in the voting booth. And that is precisely the point.
The question must be asked if what is now acceptable in our society is a move forward; have we progressed in our thinking by having young people, even before puberty, going through mutilating operations to change their sex? Is it a move forward to have every issue “racialized” rather than judging, as Martin Luther King said so profoundly, by the “content of their character”?
If one reflects on these things, you would certainly expect that one’s “common sense meter” would go into overdrive. Alas, many Americans are tossed to and fro by the winds of social change. Not shockingly, this happens on both sides of the political aisle.
There are deep questions that the American public must ask itself. Societies are held together by common beliefs, mores and behavior. It would appear that in the current state of America we have a rather large chasm in opinion as to what constitutes “normal” or “agreed behavior.” It is obvious that this situation will impact the election in November, the question is how?
When a country cannot agree on what constitutes “common sense,” what is the way forward?
We live in a rather grim expectation that somehow everything will be ok. It would seem that whomever wins in November will inherit a country so divided, so at odds with each other, that the traditional landscape of America will be unrecognizable.
Perhaps that is why common sense has become uncommon.
