On the other hand, I suspect we can expect a whole lot more than that, including but not limited to:

* A wounded reject
* Lust for adulation
* Destructive behavior
* Anger
* Grifting and greed
* Fomenting of hatred
* Incitement of violence
* Pathological lying
* Extreme narcissism
* Grandiosity
* Constant whining
* Perpetual victimhood
* Babbling incoherence

It's not just democracy itself that is on the ballot, but in a very big way decency will be on the ballot as well.

And if there is but one thing I can confirm beyond all doubt based on recent events: I absolutely will NOT -- under any circumstances whatsoever -- be voting for Hunter Biden... who also will not be on any ballot.

I like presidents who weren't convicted. :)

Not being able to trust what Biden says anymore is one thing. I certainly don't want to believe that he has a solution to end the war in the Middle East but he's waiting for electorally appropriate timing because, THAT would take the cake. Seriously!

I can't believe he would do that. I think the situation Re. the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza is pretty much beyond the control of the Biden administration.

I imagine that, for starters, it is very hard to conduct diplomacy in today's media environment WITHOUT any other aggravating factors. Add to that, successive Israeli government coalitions that have a long record of overreacting when it comes to protecting their security.

Add Bibi's way of doing things on top of all of that and you've got a recipe for chaos when it comes to the Biden administration trying to conjure up a ceasefire with accompanying political solution, notwithstanding all of the problems inherent in said admin.

I just hope the fact that there may still be two US-empowered conflicts in the world by the time of the election - just generally speaking - won't push enough voters in the battleground states to refrain from voting for Biden and, hence re-elect the former president.

one thing joe doesn't get enough credit for is his understanding of political timing. he knew afghanistan was going to be terrible, and got it out of the way early. my guess is that he has something special planned for the middle east situation, set to drop in september.

Do you think either situation will have any impact on the outcome of the presidential election this fall?

HaHa!

I wouldn't use the word stalemate for either of them. As I've said before (in the context of Ukraine, specifically), a stalemate means that the game is over. The players put away the chess board, or start a new game. Both conflicts are still in full swing.

The invasion of Ukraine is a war of attrition, grinding down Russia's ability to pay the costs of war (in both blood and treasure) and the West's ability to pay attention. Each side is making rapid progress toward its goal of depleting the other's capability.

The dynamics in Israel/Palestine are less clear, at least to me. Every significant question has an answer that is clear, simple, appealing, and wrong. The idea that this is Israel versus Hamas is such an answer.
These guys aren't competing. They're cooperating.

Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, those two issues don't seem to be working in favour of a second term for the Biden administration.

And, if two major US-empowered conflicts in the world are still raging in November - one an endless stalemate, at best, and the other an increasingly deadly and destructive blunderbuss - democracy and decency as ballot issues may have lost what meaning they both have left.