The U.S. Presidential Election Gets Underway … and Ends for Some

Who would have imagined that two days before the Republican Convention, their principal figure would be injured in an assassination attempt.

Who would have imagined that two days before the Republican Convention, their principal figure would be injured in an assassination attempt.  Whizzing past, the bullet injured his right ear, and a bleeding Trump was rushed away surrounded by Secret Service agents who jumped up to the dais from their first row seat to surround him protectively.

Guns are a bane, in a land of promise and hope for those who live in it, but the right to bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution as the Second Amendment.  The framers wanted a people’s militia as an antidote to the prospect of a foreign (for those days, British) takeover after independence had been won.

In the world as it is now, however, how would small arms help against tanks and airplanes?  It is clearly obsolete — but then there is an active gun lobby consisting of manufacturers and ranchers who want to protect their herds, plus others in rural areas where guns are commonplace — used for eradicating vermin and hunting. 

How did the RNC Convention go?  Given his close shave, Trump was received as a surviving hero to uproarious applause.  Nobody mentioned his crouching behind the lectern, only the fist waving hero, bleeding from his ear, who was shouting, “Fight!  Fight!  Fight!”   Last minute changes to the speeches were in order.  Of course, taking cover behind the lectern was the sensible thing to do.  Still, it somehow does not seem heroic. 

Biden went on TV regretting his remark about placing-Trump-in-the-bull’s-eye.  He of course meant rhetorically not literally but in the context of events — it appeared unseemly.

A grassroots organization calling itself “Pass the Torch” has spontaneously appeared and is encouraging Biden to step aside to give Democrats the best chance of defeating Trump.  Their convention is due to take place mid-August in Chicago. 

The technical term refers to Biden’s condition as Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) and people so afflicted often fall victim to dementia.  The cause of it is damage to the part of the brain that controls speech, both expression and comprehension.

Ladbrokes, the well-known British oddsmakers have Trump priced at 7/4, ahead of Biden at 2/1, as the favorite to return to the White House.  Moreover, 31 percent of the bets are being placed on him compared to just 12.8 percent on Biden as of April 5th this year.  He beats both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — were she to replace him. 

A very recent CBS poll finds Trump ahead over a range of questions.  Does that mean the end for Biden?  Maybe, but much water has to flow under that bridge of uncertainty … and anyone’s boat could get stuck under it. 

Worst of all, if Biden has shown himself physically and mentally unfit to run for President, then it leads to the next relevant and obvious question:  Could he or how would he respond today to a crisis or challenge from a global rival power? 

Author’s note:  After this piece was completed, Biden, losing support rapidly within his own party, decided to withdraw from the presidential election.  Nevertheless, there is a lesson for other old or frail leaders. 

Dr. Arshad M. Khan
Dr. Arshad M. Khan
Dr. Arshad M. Khan is a former Professor based in the US. Educated at King's College London, OSU and The University of Chicago, he has a multidisciplinary background that has frequently informed his research. Thus he headed the analysis of an innovation survey of Norway, and his work on SMEs published in major journals has been widely cited. He has for several decades also written for the press: These articles and occasional comments have appeared in print media such as The Dallas Morning News, Dawn (Pakistan), The Fort Worth Star Telegram, The Monitor, The Wall Street Journal and others. On the internet, he has written for Antiwar.com, Asia Times, Common Dreams, Counterpunch, Countercurrents, Dissident Voice, Eurasia Review and Modern Diplomacy among many. His work has been quoted in the U.S. Congress and published in its Congressional Record.