Yesterday, United States President Joe Biden announced he’s dropping out of the presidential race. In his statement, Biden referred to what he considered as major victories and steps forward during his mandate for the nation and the American economy.
However, he reflects that it is “in the best interest of [the Democratic] party and the country” for him to step down and “focus solely on fulfilling [his] duties as President for the remainder of [his] term”.
In another post, Biden expressed his endorsement of current Vice President, Kamala Harris, to be the nominee of the Democratic Party for this year’s presidential elections on November 5, which happen to be the 60th quadrennials.
Harris, on her part, announced her readiness to “earn and win” the nomination, adding that she will do everything in her power to unite the party, with a focus on defeating Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Criticisms of the Democratic Nature of the Decision
Many have considered Biden’s dropping out of the presidential race as an overturn of the result of the Democratic Party’s primaries, which Biden won by a landslide at 87.09 percent of the votes.
Ironically, many consider Harris’s run for president as the representative of the Democratic Party undemocratic.
Biden’s announcement comes amidst criticisms throughout the country and within the Democratic party itself of the current president’s capacity of taking office for another four years. During last month’s debate between Trump and Biden, the latter displayed a notably incoherent performance, adding to a series of public blunders and verbal howlers.
Alongside the potential assassination attempt at Trump’s last rally, many have considered the debate as a key event in favor of the Republicans’ campaign, and a blow for the Democrats, leading to Biden’s decision to drop out of the race.
For many Americans, the performance of both parties has been unsatisfactory. However, the lack of a poll-favored third option forces many to vote for the “least horrible” option.
Among such options is the Green Party’s Jill Ellen Stein, who has been extremely vocal during the latest pro-Palestinian rights protests. However, given the structure of American politics, the Green Party’s ability to make a breakthrough remains limited, notwithstanding the potential for a gradual growth on the long term.
A Grim Outlook for the Middle East
Regardless of the result, the prospects of Palestine, Lebanon and the Middle East region remain grim regardless of the winner in the elections, as it is safe to assume that the latter will likely come from the Republican or Democratic Party. Both parties have been hardline supporters of Israel’s genocidal campaign, with the exception of sporadic and symbolic disputes or the use of “strict-tone language”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Biden and the United States’ Republican and Democratic Parties for their support to Israel.
As matters stand, Israel continues to kill civilians across Palestine, Lebanon and the region. Today, the Israeli army has ordered the residents of Gaza’s Khan Younis to evacuate half of it in preparation for a military operation.
In the case that a strong democratic front in the US develops, one that reflects the widespread movements that took place during the last several months, the prospects for Middle East peace might improve. However, the reality in place remains grim for the region’s people.