For American Middle, Biden’s withdrawal at least means something, anything different

Most Americans did not want to endure a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and you can count us among those who believe Biden did the right thing in withdrawing.
Now, we have the chance for something different. You know when you’ve reached the point where the unpredictability of anything different seems better than what you’ve got, you are in a bad place.
At the very least, we know we are going to get an election where the constant focus isn’t on the incumbent’s cognitive and physical ability. We instead might get a real debate focused on policy differences and personal character that are critical to Americans in the middle who are sick of the hopeless polarization that dominates both parties.
We need to say a word here about Biden’s decision. While it was the right one, it came much later than it should have. His inner circle, White House staff and the Washington press corps let the country down by failing to be open about a decline that was apparent to most of us for some time.
Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.
Or with:
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Now, we need to look forward to the election to come. It is increasingly clear that Vice President Kamala Harris will be the Democratic nominee. We wish Democrats would hold an open convention where they would refocus their party on a broad American middle that feels alienated by policies of the far left and the far right and the rhetoric of destruction both sides use to further their ends.
The chance of such a reckoning was always remote, but even the small possibility grows less likely by the hour.
With that in mind, it will be up to Harris to demonstrate she can earn the confidence not only of her party’s most devoted partisans but of the broader electorate. It will be an uphill climb for a former San Francisco prosecutor in a nation where many people look at California as an example of harmful policies and foolhardy social experiments.
Harris must also deal with her time as “immigration czar” while the southern border was overwhelmed with migrants and the Biden administration was ineffective in answering the problem. Biden has since tacked back to the center on the issue. Harris will have to convince voters she would do the same.
And she will have to demonstrate that she will be a firm hand in protecting America’s interests and defending our allies overseas, particularly Israel, which the far left would abandon.
Finally, assuming she is the nominee, she will have a golden opportunity to show the American middle that she hears their concerns by selecting a vice presidential candidate who, in contrast to Trump’s pick of Sen. J.D. Vance, is a moderating voice genuinely prepared to push back against the party’s progressive inclinations.
None of this will be easy. But it is entirely possible. If that happens, our country will get a far different election. We will be able to have the serious conversations we need to have about Trump’s legacy and Harris’ potential.
We wanted something different, and we got it. We can only hope that, in this case, different truly is better.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at [email protected]