This week’s column is being written as news programs fill air time with news about current President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will pull out of the race to make room for a different candidate. Speculation is that the candidate replacing President Biden will be Vice-President Harris.
I know readers of the Record will see this column over a week after the announcement, and there will be many reports and news articles surrounding this issue by the time you read this column. Still, I felt compelled to write about it while it was happening – I’m writing this column on Sunday evening – the Sunday evening of the announcement.
I believe that if people were sincere they would admit the debate a few weeks ago left Biden supporters with doubts. There would have been doubts about whether President Biden could win the election and there would be doubts that if he did win, could he serve the next four years as the President of the United States?
In my opinion, the President’s health decline has progressed rapidly. The times I’ve seen him on news reports he appeared frail. During the debate, he appeared to lose his focus. I believe his withdrawal was the right decision.
As I write this, the news reports on my television are filled with nothing but information about Vice President Harris and the challenges any nominated candidate will face with just over three months until the election.
I won’t give my opinion on whether VP Harris is ready to lead our country – it’s not easy to make that assumption, especially when none of us know who the running mate will be. That news may come between this writing and when it appears in print.
One thing is for sure – this announcement will change the campaign strategy for both parties, and it should prove to be a hectic time between now and the election in November.
If candidates weren’t allowed to put down their opponents in advertisements there probably wouldn’t have been the need to change those ads, but you can bet most ads already produced centered on the candidates in the race before the announcement that President Biden is leaving the race.
Another thing that is for sure – I don’t recall crazier times during my lifetime.
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As you read this we are seeing the end of July and the beginning of August. In just a little over a month, kids will be heading back to school already. For most reading this the weather will be changing drastically during the next few weeks, and it won’t be long until cold temperatures descend on the good folks back home in Minnesota.
Another time I can ask, “Where does the time go?”
Have A Good Week!