Goodnight Grandpa!

"If the Democratic Party truly cares, it should consider transitioning Biden to a maximum-security twilight home."

Who is really in charge of America? That is the question we must ask after the painful Trump-Biden debate, where the two candidates vied for the most powerful position in the world. It is now irrefutable that Biden is cognitively impaired and unfit to have the nuclear codes and the fate of humanity at his fingertips.

The narrative his defenders promote is that he is lucid in private and, on top of the job. That fell apart in the first 10 minutes of exchanges with Trump. His claims that he had a cold don't wash, as his performance was not consistent with someone suffering from a mild illness. Biden stumbled through the debate, confusing issues and failing to recall numbers while, at times, staring into the distance. 

Image is essential—Biden's appearance, with a slack-jawed expression and a shuffling gait, suggests a man who needs care due to failing physical health, confusion, and reduced mental acuity. Running him for president amounts to cruelty. As one commentator observed, "This wasn't a debate, it was a medical emergency - the president resembling an animated corpse."

Even if the man is clear-minded sometimes, as his supporters claim, so what! Can we be sure he will be at his best when it matters? Further, it's important to remember that the Biden we saw in the debate was heavily prepared and likely using medication to boost his performance. Yet, he still struggled against a relentless Trump. Ageing is an ongoing process; time won't make it any easier for him.

If the Democratic Party truly cares, it should consider transitioning Biden to a maximum-security twilight home. While Vice President Kamila Harris is an option as a stand-in, the polling around her is woeful, worse than Biden's. She'd have no chance against Trump.

Their best hope lies in finding strong, new candidates who are quick on their feet and can stand up to Trump. If they can't do that, the Democrats are in serious trouble.

For now, Biden has handed Trump a self-authored attack campaign of clips for social media. Never mind that Trump may have lied or embellished his achievement; that detail gets lost in the controversy surrounding Biden's performance. 

Meanwhile, the question remains: who is running America? Who is responsible for the country engaged in bank-rolling two wars, draining its resources and degrading its standing in the wider world? Seymour Hersh, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for exposing the My Lai massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War, as well as other significant stories, provides an interesting perspective.

His latest blog depicts a chaotic White House with an isolated president in a bubble. If Hersh's account is to be believed, a small group keeps Biden under wraps while it pursues various agendas, including controlling foreign policy. 

Perhaps that explains why no armistice is offered despite intelligence assessments that the Ukrainians can't win against Russia. Despite having anti-tank weapons, missiles, tanks, and now F-16s, all portrayed as game changers, there's a stalemate because Russian forces are deeply entrenched, with the Ukrainians unable to break through.

So, as Western nations consider conscription and citizen armies, many Ukrainian young men are leaving the country to avoid the conflict. To his credit, President Trump recognised this in the debate.

In the wider world, people are questioning America's unwavering support for Israel's military strategy, leading to the destruction of Gaza. What's the end game there? More radicalised young men? Let’s not forget that a large segment of Hamas members are aggrieved orphans from earlier conflicts. Is Israel, who I support, on the wrong track by creating more potential enemies radicalised by the war on Gaza? 

Further, the global south is looking to ask where the proportionality, justice, and respect for the rules-based international order are in the Gaza war.  

Looking ahead, Democrats will be strategising to transition Biden and Harris out. With the writing on the wall, and a consensus building, the pivotal moment could arrive at the Democratic National Convention between the 19th and 22nd of August in Chicago.

​I'll venture a prediction: The Convention will transform into a grand thank-you and farewell celebration for Biden as he relinquishes his nominations. The Democrats will then seek to energise and invigorate their campaign with younger candidates for president and vice president. Who that might be remains a mystery. 

Failing that, Trump will storm home.