As an armchair political analyst (like everyone else on social media), the announcement of President Biden to back out of the upcoming US elections was not unexpected. It was a huge decision personally for the president, and now it comes at an opportune time after growing concerns about his seemingly declining mental acuity and advanced age have slowly come to the forefront. As an outsider, living halfway across the world, I find it entertaining to see the events unfolding in real-time on social media and news outlets everywhere.
From the little I know and have seen of the current VP, she seems to have changed significantly from the clips a few weeks ago compared to the most recent events she had spoken in. Personally, my initial impression is that she smiles a lot and giggles easily. More recent videos had me in awe about how cool she was and how powerful her messaging was turning out to be. She spoke eloquently and was really relatable, even if I wasn't an American voter and I lived hundreds of kilometers away.
That key democratic leaders have already come out to endorse her is a good sign that she will get the nomination. Of course, there are other party leaders who are singing a different song and would like to have an "open" convention, where those who have pledged their support for President Biden are now free to choose in the upcoming Democratic National Convention in August.
With the GOP support for Former President Trump reaching greater heights after the failed assassination attempt and President Biden's lackluster debate performance, which started calls for him to drop out of the 2024 US presidential elections, significantly weakening his chance of winning, the decision to end his quest for a second term immediately earned praise from the democratic leadership and even some from the other side. VP Harris, on the other hand, stood out as a very strong debater, maybe owing to her background as a prosecutor. It's one of her strongest advantages as the former president will likely be on the defensive in this aspect if they were to face off against each other, and, if I were to guess, Trump will not lack the confidence nor pull back punches and go full throttle against the VP.
I am clearly, immensely entertained by these events, which could have been the plot of a political drama on Netflix, but I am fully aware that whatever happens to be the outcome of the 2024 US Elections will have an impact around the globe. As the Philippines top trading partner, the policy decisions will affect our economy. The US foreign policy will affect how we deal with the rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea. And, immigration policy will affect how many Filipinos enter the US as immigrants. As the fourth largest immigrant population in the US, Filipinos contribute via healthcare professionals, education, IT and finance, among others. They send money back to the Philippines to their relatives via remittances and it helps out the economy.
So, the US elections will have real impact felt here in my country even if it is thousands of kilometers away. We might even say that we have some stake in the game, just because millions of dollars in remittances, foreign aid, and trade stand to be gained, or lost, depending on who wins.
I'm just praying and hoping for the best outcome possible.
That's it for today's blog. Monday is Monday!
Love and peace.
@juanvegetarian