Last week's presidential debate between Biden and Trump was symbolic in the worst way possible: a 90-minute slap in the face with the reality of just how unfair the world is.
But this disaster shouldn't come as a complete surprise. Ask the right people and they'll sum up the evil and incompetence that has permeated nearly every level of American political leadership for years. Women's IssuesWe have come up with this issue frequently and as American citizens we feel compelled to comment.
On Thursday, we watched as two older, out-of-touch white guys competed for the top spot in a country of 330 million people, spending more time arguing about whether they were good at golf than addressing pressing issues like access to child care.
It is these crossroads moments that have the power to thrust us into a state of collective anxiety, and the question of whether to remain hopeful becomes central as we wrestle with depressing choices.
If Biden is re-elected, he will be 82 at the start of his second term; if Trump is re-elected, he will be 78 at the start of his second term.
They were already the oldest candidates in U.S. history when they first ran for president four years ago.
Before that, when Trump was running for president against Hillary Clinton, confusion was rampant as we all had to watch an uneducated reality TV host fight to become president.
The first time I voted in a US election, I had the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, which was also symbolic in an unsettling way.
For the first time in American history, I was able to vote for a female candidate, but instead we had a deeply misogynistic man who would say things like, “Grab a woman by her genitals,” and he went on to make political decisions that limited my freedom as a woman more than my mother and grandmother's generation ever did.
In the United States, I, and all other women, are no longer guaranteed the right to make decisions about our own bodies.
As Roe v Wade is disregarded, American women have been forced to fight a very personal battle with themselves and their lawmakers — a battle I continue to fight here in Australia as I hear more and more horror stories of women attempting abortions in their home countries and facing life-changing consequences.
Adding to the disturbing symbolism in this political graveyard, watching two older men vying for the presidency of our country last week bicker like grade school kids feels insulting at best.
As a young American woman, this is an insult to my future and to the future of every other young person who truly wants to make a positive impact on the world. And I say “the world” because, like it or not, the United States plays a major role in international politics and the consequences of our poor decisions can be far-reaching.
Women's safety and reproductive freedom, gun violence, climate change, violence against Palestinians, the war in Ukraine, LGBTQI+ rights and freedoms, the rise of AI, the state of the economy – all these issues require passionate leadership from people who have the drive and energy to tackle them.
Contrary to the image painted during Thursday's debate, the world is not lacking in this kind of youthful leadership; it just needs better support to bring it to the fore, particularly in the United States.
Many of my American friends and family ask the same thing: “Surely in a country of 330 million people, you can find two better candidates, right?”
This question is asked on both sides of nearly every polling station. By male voters and female voters. By young voters and older voters. By liberal voters and conservative voters.
In a Morning Consult poll, 60% of respondents (Republicans and Democrats) said their party should replace President Biden in the November election, while 11% said they weren't sure.
Politico reported that Democratic voters used words like “confused, frail and demented” to describe Biden's lackluster performance on Thursday.
In the wake of the debate fiasco, there have been reports that Biden is considering resigning, or that there are Democrats in his circle who might at least persuade him to step down for the good of the party.
It would be difficult for Democrats to remove and replace Biden at this stage in the election cycle, but it is still possible as long as Biden chooses to step aside.
The most logical successor would be Vice President Kamala Harris, but that wouldn't be automatic. Other contenders include California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Meanwhile, polls suggest it doesn't matter to Trump supporters who the Democratic nominee is: A post-debate poll conducted by Data for Progress found no indication that any of the other Democratic candidates would perform better than Trump in the November debates.
Trump supporters will persist in their ignorance. There is clearly a segment of the American public that is determined to remain steadfast in their support of Trump. With the felony charges against Trump and a long history of hatred, I am beginning to wonder if anything could open the minds of the MAGA crowd.
Still, I refuse to believe that the majority of Americans want to see the country torn apart in the next election.
It's easy to joke about the absurdity of American politics. I do that too. But beneath the surface, change is scratching the surface. We must help break through the change.
The opportunity for young, passionate leaders is not over yet. Young American leaders can still be given more ground and a platform to change the narrative of the country.
Politics reflects to us the state of the world, and no matter how bleak it may seem, I expect our political leaders to begin to represent progress.
