To find it hard to believe that the US can find no better presidential candidates than Biden or Trump?

[DisquietintheRanks]

33 million adults and that's the choice? Really?

I am well aware that a country who ended up with Truss as PM is in no position to cast the first stone and Americans must vote as they see fit, but am I the only knew who finds the thought of another Biden/Trump face off profoundly depressing?

If Biden choses to run for re-election it will do the Democrats no favours whatsoever to remove him from the ballot because it undermines their choice in him in the first place.

YANBU that Trump was ever a credible option, let alone get elected. He's living proof of the stupidity of the masses and how easily they can be manipulated.

With the power of the religious vote in the US though I'll be amazed if the Democrats are given another term for presidency. There'll be an awful lot of ordinary people that can see through the ruse of allowing predatory men to abuse goodwill for transwomen to get access to girls and women. Their religion will give them a stronger sense of right in opposing this vs the 'be kind' nonsense that is being countered.

That's certainly De Santis' dream but he's polling far behind old Trumpy.

You forgot Soros $

@MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake the head of state in the US is the President. The head of state in the UK is the reigning monarch. Imagine not knowing that!!!

Really though?
They spend most of their time fundraising and canvassing and going to dinners.
I’m pretty sure the actual decisions are made elsewhere.

Or at least they have put themselves forward (Kennedy and Ramaswamy) Whether or not they end up on the ballot box is another thing

I thought the same when Biden was the Democrats choice. He looks like he's on his last legs. He is dithering and confused.
Trump is just deluded.
Anyone at this point has a good chance of being better than these jokers.

As societies become more complex and sophisticated it seems harder and harder to find leaders who are fit for office.

@MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake just in case you’re not clear on this, the US president is both head of state and head of government. In the UK we have a head of government (prime minister) and a head of state (the monarch).

For the record we don’t need elections to start any earlier than they already do. If everyone can just keep their heads down until the primaries and I’ll be happy.

The King/Queen, as we're so often told, is a ceremonial role. Or can we expect to see Charlie making rousing stump speeches? Such fun. The Irish president is a ceremonial role equivalent to King/Queen.

^ This - they have to have access to squillions (there's no restrictions on paid for adverts). Only wealthy megalomaniacs stand a chance.

@MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake are you saying that the king is not head of state and the prime minister is?!! Two different rules, two different people in the UK. One person in the US.

There is an argument that says societies are a good deal less homogenous than they used to be and it's therefore really hard to find good leaders who can appeal to, or at least not offend, so many specific demographics in a multicultural society.

I personally don't wholly accept this because Japan for example, which is a highly culturally and demographically homogenous society, has some some shocking leaders since the mid-90s.

Trump doesn’t necessarily have enough backing in the Republican party this time to stand a real chance, does he?

I know they historically all rally round; but when you factor in the avowed never-Trumpers, and others in the party who really want to see it move on from the kind of crap he comes out with over and over again … I don’t know.

The last thing I want is to be complacent, because I never thought he’d win the first time. Even so, it’s a struggle to take him seriously.

If Charles is going to be political and break the contract, then we may as well go with the Irish model.

@MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake some countries have both by the way, i.e. a president as a head of state and a prime minister as head of government. For example, Ireland, France.

I agree with this.

The collapse of an existing political world order might be intriguing to an alien viewing it from a spaceship, but personally I'm not looking forward to having to live through it 😱

@MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-executive-branch/

As I said, the President is Head of State and Head of Government.

There is no direct equivalent. Imagine being so pompous!

It has been a very long time since there were ever any impressive candidates on the ballot papers for US President.

If it came down to a choice between Biden and Trump I would have to vote for Biden. I view Trump with contempt and simply cannot understand how anyone could justify voting for him.

However, I don't live in the US and I am not American, so I won't get a say anyhow.

I have very little idea of Japanese history but perhaps it's because Japan is too homogeneous... too far in the other direction?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8BRdwgPChQ&pp=ygUTQ2FtaWx3IHBhZ2xpYSB0cmFucw%3D%3D

I recall this being releases years ago, and people saying it was rediclious to suggest it would happen and carrying on with woke rubbish instead of soing helpful things, yet here we are people are accepting it now.

I'm saying that you are claiming that the role of American President is a direct equivalent to the role of monarch in the UK. Both are heads of state but one is supposed to be politically neutral. Again, if you're going to compare a president to a monarch I suggest you look to Ireland (as I mentioned in my previous post). Otherwise you sound a bit muddled.