Cult-like behaviour in US politics

THE EDITOR, Madam:

A clearly agitated Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, was interviewed recently by a BBC presenter, who delicately reminded her that she had handed power to a new generation of Democrats in Congress.

He then pointedly asked if she thought that President Biden should do the same, as both were over 80 years old. Pelosi was having none of that, and her praise of Biden’s ability was so gushing and effusive, that it sounded as if she were talking of a cult leader. Over in the Republican Party there’s an obvious problem, too, with former President Donald Trump already indicted in four criminal trials. Yet, at a recent leadership debate in Milwaukee, six of the eight candidates affirmed without hesitation that they would fully support him as the nominee, even if he had been convicted of a crime. Mr. Trump wasn’t on the debate stage, but leads all polls with well over 50 per cent approval from Republican supporters, and his closest challenger barely making double figures. Like those six candidates, the party faithful are willing to set aside all the alleged crimes and misdemeanours, as if they are talking about a cult leader. Other polls have Joe Biden and Donald Trump neck-and-neck at 46 per cent each, but predicting the outcome of an election is a fool’s errand, with 60 weeks left until November 5, 2024.

Sixty years ago, during one of his country’s frequent crises, then British Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously said: “A week is a long time on politics”, and that pipe-smoking Yorkshireman always appeared quite unflappable, dealing with many political problems in the turbulent 1960s. Thinking about his demeanour and words of wisdom applied to one current front-runner who is showing increasing elderly fatigue, and the other’s burgeoning number of legal battles, there may well be a good chance that during the next 60 weeks both of them could be replaced for those obvious reasons. Just maybe, it would be better for America and the world if fresher faces with younger minds were to contest the next US presidential election. I would not hazard a guess who would take up the mantle for both parties, but the entertainment value of another Trump-Biden matchup would disappear for observers like me. With no party affiliation, we take neither politics nor ourselves too seriously, and view politicians akin to a circus merry-go-round full of absurd clowns who, more often than not, are holier-than-thou hypocrites.

However, if, eventually, new nominees should step into the breach sometime during the next 60 weeks, at least it may temporarily rid both political parties of their cult-like behaviour.

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada