President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken just gave what amounted to exit interviews with USA Today and the New York Times, respectively. What was most striking about the interview was how the two highlighted the unintentional missed opportunity that could have avoided the Democratic debacle in November and ended the war in Gaza.
Susan Page of USA Today asked Biden asked, “Do you think you could have won in November?'' Biden replied, “It's presumptuous to say that, but based on the polls, I think so.'' Democratic strategist David Axelrod said: answered. called “nuts.”
Mr. Page's next question, “Do you think you would have had the energy to serve as president for four more years?'' elicited an unusual permission from the president. “Who the hell knows? So far so good,” Biden said. “But who knows what I'll be like when I'm 86?”
Biden said nothing of the sort when he announced that he would seek re-election in 2023 at age 80. his The mantra for 2023 is“It's legitimate for people to raise issues about my age, and the only thing I can say is, look at me,” the invitation didn't sit well with him. .
Mr. Biden's confession suggests that he knew, or should have known, that he was irresponsibly rolling the dice on whether he would be able to complete a second term. When it comes to winning, it would be “insane” to think that even if Biden had doubts about his suitability for another term, voters wouldn't have had similar doubts.
The missed opportunity would have been if Biden had gracefully announced that he would not run for re-election in 2023 because of his age. there would have been timeAs Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) later pointed out, an open Democratic presidential primary would either make Vice President Kamala Harris a better candidate or create a stronger alternative. There is a possibility.
Lulu Garcia-Navarro of the era Pressured Secretary Blinken Regarding the administration's policy in the Gaza war. At one point, Mr. Blinken expressed frustration that “there is no unanimous call around the world for Hamas to lay down its arms, hand over its hostages, and surrender.”
But the Biden administration never attempted to rally public opinion against Hamas, whose strategy depends on the world. put pressure on israel To stop fighting. Biden administration proposal United Nations resolution For example, he never asked Hamas to lay down its weapons and surrender.
December, Blinken said Hamas publicly argued that it was necessary to understand that “cavalry will not come to the rescue.” reporter asked Vedant Patel.a State Department spokesperson said, “Is he essentially saying that Hamas should surrender?” Instead of giving a clear “yes,” Mr. Patel undermined Mr. Blinken's intended message. “What we need here to end this conflict is, of course, a bilateral agreement between Israel and Hamas,” Patel said.
By failing to force Hamas to cease fighting, the Biden administration missed an opportunity to put pressure on the group last year that could have led to a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages. It also ceded the war narrative to left-wing governments, campus protesters, and international human rights organizations.
The result was a moral reversal of world opinion. Israel has been rightly, but almost exclusively, criticized for its conduct of the war, while deliberately exposing Palestinian civilians to barrage by attacking it from its vast underground military bases beneath Gaza. The terrorist organization Hamas remained largely invisible. Because Biden and Blinken failed to lead Hamas, there was no “unanimous chorus” calling for Hamas to surrender.
While the history of “what ifs” is inherently speculative, the missed opportunities for Biden and Blinken are cause for regret.
Gregory J. Wallance He was a federal prosecutor in the Carter and Reagan administrations and a member of the ABSCAM prosecution team that convicted a U.S. senator and six members of Congress on bribery charges. he is the author of “To Siberia: George Kennan's epic journey through Russia's cruel and frozen heart”.”
