With the circus-like presidential election approaching, everyone is becoming an expert on the United States.
A few years ago, two fellow political scientists issued a warning about the analysts who inevitably emerge when the news gets tough. “Shoot them”«…Ready in five minutes!
We are witnessing the same phenomenon in the beginning of the US presidential campaign, when commentators summarize the situation by making epithets such as Joe Biden being an old man, Donald Trump being a rabid, or Americans being stupid.
Useless traits
Are we really any more advanced in understanding complex reality by weighting these kinds of qualities?
This kind of “analysis” wouldn’t get a passing grade in a student paper, not to mention that those who insist on Biden’s age and occasional inconsistencies ignore the fact that Trump is almost as old and his inconsistencies are more than incidental.
Political players should be evaluated by their actions and not by some caricature of their physical or mental state.
Actions and facts
In Biden’s case, whether we like his policies or not, his presidency has been full of accomplishments that fall short of indicating his inability to perform his duties.
On many issues, including infrastructure, Biden has succeeded where his predecessor failed. At the end of the long negotiations over the debt ceiling, Republican Kevin McCarthy praised the ability and mental ability of Biden, who is widely considered the winner of this confrontation.
As for the rumors linking Joe Biden to his son’s unfortunate and potentially criminal plans, they are just rumors that years of investigations have not been able to support with evidence.
As for actions that cast doubt on Donald Trump’s moral authority or abilities, I would need a special section to list them. If you had to fill a position in your organization, would you hire someone facing four criminal trials on 91 charges, not to mention countless civil suits?
Circus and reality
The upcoming election will be far from ordinary, but we must do our best to understand American voters without taking the easy way out.
In fact, if Americans’ collective choices seem unreasonable or irrational, it’s not because voters are crazy. The challenge of analysis is to understand how citizens who are not necessarily irrational can reach collective decisions that transcend understanding.
How do I do? This is not the place for a political science course, but even if the next election takes on the appearance of a circus, we will have to make an effort to stay grounded in reality and leave emotions in the locker room if we are to be understood well. It won’t be easy, but fans can expect nothing less.
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