For a blog with a domain name and server located within the USA, it behoves the BG to comment upon US politics from time to time. Being the BG the commentary is based on how the political machinations affects the UK.
The following blog-post from “The Hill” (https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/587193-gop-optimism-grows-over-possible-red-wave-in-2022) sets out the current state of play between the two main parties.
Certain important FACTS that our US readers will be more than familiar with but with which our UK readers are less aware of are the facts that both Vice President Harris and former President Trump are classic examples of “Marmite politicians” people where most people have strong feelings about (for and against) and few are indifferent to them.
The other overriding FACT is the state of health of the current incumbent of the White House.
That President Biden will NOT be seeking a second term in 2024 is a foregone conclusion.
That President Biden and in particular, Doctor Biden, would like the President to retire early is also something widely known the other side of the pond. The big hoo-hah in the Democratic Party is over who will replace him after the mid-term elections in 2022.
You see, the US Constitution is quite clear on the issue: If a President leaves office before the end of his (or her) term through death, resignation or impeachment the person who is Vice President becomes President.
This is something that many Democrats are concerned about for according the opinion polls, Vice President Harris is even less popular than President Biden. As a result, some Democrat politicians are trying to find someone to step into Mr Biden’s shoes who is not called Karmala Harris! The problem for them is that Vice President Harris steadfastly refuses to step aside and resign as Vice President! The lady – quite reasonably – argues that at the 2020 election her name was on the ballot and therefore she has a democratic mandate which a replacement would not have! What we will likely see is that following the mid terms (whatever the result) Doctor Jill Biden will insist that her husband is allowed to retire!
What the likely result will be is a “lame duck” President Harris for the Republicans are likely (based on present indications) to control “the House” (House of Representatives) and the Senate.
Faced with probable defeat in November 2024, President Harris is likely to make the most of her two remaining years in office by travelling far and wide and often. This will enable her to enjoy the power and position of the office in meeting foreign leaders. Clearly one of the leaders she will be very keen on meeting is Ursula von der Leyen , President of the European Commission!
President von der Leyen is no fool and will ensure that she will extract as much benefit – for the EU – as she possibly can from this temporary office holder! Another person President Harris will make a bee-line for is the UK’s current Foreign Secretary Liz Truss – if she still occupies that office. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that by the end of 2022 it will be Prime Minister Liz Truss!
One man these three women will be talking about will be President Vladimir Putin.
One notable development could be the arrival back in the UK of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. You see it might be that the newly appointed President Harris will appoint Meghan Markle as the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James.
Those readers who will be shouting, “……the lady has no experience as a diplomat!” will be unaware of a peculiarity of the US political system. You see one of the perks US Presidents can and have traditionally bestowed is to appoint supporters and benefactors to ambassadorial posts. Typically these are prestigious posts with London being the top. The “little local difficulty” of the appointee having zero experience and often zero aptitude for such an important post is and has long been very effectively dealt with by the appointment of a senior US State Department professional as “Chief of Staff”. This experienced professional will have all the qualifications and experience of perform the role of ambassador and will do so – de facto. They will be the ambassador in all but name. It is just the President’s appointee will get to wallow in the status and perks that come with the post!
This will in fact be very bad news for the UK as the Duchess of Sussex will likely become very “political” and will spend much time making visits and speeches to various parties during her two years of office. These visits will be intensely political and are likely to be smiled upon by the “climate change brigade” the politically correct which will of course include major figures from the Green, Labour and Lib-Dem parties.
Sadly, the Duke of Sussex may become “political”.
The greatest asset the monarchy has in the UK is that it strives to be above politics.
At this time of year most of us receive Christmas Greetings wishing us a Happy/Merry Christmas and a Happy/Prosperous New Year. I think we can all bet our bottom dollars that 2022 is going to be an Interesting Year!