3 and a half years after Joe Biden’s dramatic victory over incumbent President Donald Trump, at the end of one of the most tense elections in American history, we seem to be facing a second round with both candidates. This has almost reached an final approval in the 15-state primaries across the country that took place yesterday (Super Tuesday), where Biden and Trump won overwhelmingly, each in his own party. Trump’s last rival, Nikki Haley, only managed to win in the state of Vermont, and her chances of winning the race have become extremely slim.
Only five times in American history, so far, have there been cases of two consecutive elections, that have included identical candidates from both parties: In 1796 and 1800, 1836 and 1840, 1888 and 1892, 1896 and 1900, and for the last time only in the 50s, when Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Democratic Adlai Stevenson twice in a row, in 1952 and 1956. Since then, each election has enjoyed a degree of refreshing figures and ideologies; but it seems that during this challenging period, and due to the extreme polarization of American society, most voters have decided to remain with the reality they know. Trump and Biden were the oldest candidates in the 2020 presidential race; this time, it would be their own record-breaking.
The election is expected to take place this November, and many things may occur that will affect the opinion of the voters in any direction (with polls now predicting that they are tied in low popularity). For Israel, this is both a challenge and an opportunity – when the race may cause Biden to take certain steps to bring specific audiences closer to him (such as a stronger anti-Israel policy, for Muslim voters; or a more pro-Israel policy, for the Jewish community). It is also clear to the Americans that the war in Gaza is a certain factor, even if not a decisive factor, in the electoral considerations of the average voter. American elections have historically been key and turning points, with the election of one candidate over the other having an impact on the entire world order. For Israel, then, this is an even more crucial question.
To respond – rxpuyhi@gmail.com
