The US elections: A caricature of politics

Biden wasn’t always like that, which makes the whole thing even more tragic. He was quick-witted, Obama’s funny sidekick, who was really good at foreign policy, but was always a loyal second. His reliability was also one reason why the Democrats wanted to put him back in the race after 2020, but it was clear long before he ran: the four years in the Oval Office had taken a bigger toll on him than any before.

What was seen on Thursday was therefore a catastrophe in the making. The Democrats had only sworn support for the old candidate out of fear of an internal debate about the direction to take, and Biden’s ego also played a role. A choice of convenience that completely failed to recognize what was at stake here: the most important office in the world, the job that can really throw the world into disarray.

Trump has already turned the presidency into a caricature, and the Republicans let him get away with it out of a hunger for power. If the Democrats, who always act so supportive of the state, now allow Biden to do the same, it would be all the more bitter.

A change of candidate in the final stages would save face – especially for Biden himself. But the Trump campaign will blame a new candidate for every little misstep, belittling him as undemocratically as possible. The election campaign will therefore be bitter – with or without Biden.