IN THE YEAR of a presidential election in the United States, the news cycle is almost never dull. And there were plenty of developments in the past 10 days or so that warrant pondering. The following is my rapid-fire analysis of five of them.
First, the US has exercised its authority to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution urging an immediate ceasefire to Israel’s war on Gaza. It stands alone on the 15 member Security Council, with 13 backing the text brought forward by Algeria and the United Kingdom abstaining. The US is instead pushing for a temporary ceasefire that is linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
While some opine that this is momentous in that America had been reluctant to endorse a ceasefire of any nature up until now, its ongoing unwillingness to unequivocally condemn an ally’s objectively unconscionable conduct in Gaza is increasingly rendering the world’s leading superpower a global pariah. To me, this reticence in the face of unspeakable horror is deeply saddening.
President Joe Biden and his party are stuck between a rock and a hard place, roughly eight months from the general election. The mammoth political power and financial prowess of the Israeli lobby, led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), cannot be overestimated.
Notwithstanding the facts that young people understand the Middle East very differently than their elders and that the dismay of Arab Americans in Michigan could be fatal to President Biden’s re-election bid, Democrats from the top of the ticket to the bottom are wary of crossing swords with AIPAC. External critics should be aware that, if Biden et al lose in November, their successors will be on much the same page as Benjamin Netanyahu and even more radical elements in Israeli politics.
Second, a congressional by-election in New York to replace the deposed oddball, Republican George Santos, attracted significant attention. Democrat Tom Suozzi, who formerly held the seat, won the race relatively comfortably. Reflecting upon the results, commenters have highlighted Suozzi’s moderate messaging. He advocated border security, stressed a “law and order” approach to criminal justice and pledged to work in concert with the GOP in the US House of Representatives.
There is nothing new here. The truth is obvious: Democrats can win in battleground districts like this one on Long Island – and nationwide – if their standard bearers run to the middle when it is necessary. But they don’t. And they won’t. Why not? President Biden, despite his decidedly centrist origins, and other elected officials are captives of leftist special interest groups and big donors. It’s a terrible pity.
Third, though she has no path to victory, ex-US Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley refuses to abandon her quixotic quest for the Republican presidential nomination. There are several plausible suppositions floating around.
She actually has her eye on 2028. She is hoping against hope that Donald Trump will pick her for the number two job. Haley is convinced that Trump’s legal troubles will ensnare him and she will be best situated to be his substitute. She wants to be the head of the “Reagan wing” of the GOP.
Running for president can engender lucrative opportunities. Haley perhaps doesn’t really know, but she can’t give up.
My own guess is that it is a mixture of all of these. Nonetheless, it is difficult to fathom why someone who polls show is down to Trump by 25 percentage points in her native South Carolina is clinging on. The Palmetto State votes this weekend. When Haley is crushed in her own back yard, it is even more difficult to imagine that those whose funding has enabled her to persist will keep throwing their money down the toilet.
Fourth, at a fawning Fox News town hall gathering aired on Tuesday, presenter Laura Ingraham put a list of possible running mates to Donald Trump. Haley was not among them. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, wealthy entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, his erstwhile rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination, were mentioned. Congressman Byron Donalds, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and, intriguingly, the one-time Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, were namechecked.
Trump responded that they were “good people” and next observed that “the VP choice has absolutely no impact.” With respect to the selections made in the last couple of decades, he is correct. The sole exception may be when John McCain went for then-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in 2008. Palin initially made a splash, but soon crashed and burned when it was established that she was way out of her limited depth.
To cut to the quick, after what he would deem a “failed experiment” with Mike Pence, the top quality Trump is seeking in a chief deputy is unwavering, unthinking loyalty, no matter what the boss says or does. And sycophantic grovelling as he dangles the prize won’t go astray. Senator Scott might have the edge on that front thus far.
Finally, on a lighter yet no less depressing note, there are the grotesquely gold Trump sneakers, which apparently sold out swiftly at an extortionate $399 a pair.
It has been posited that those who purchased them did so as an investment. They may become a collector’s item that will be worth thousands in future. Maybe. Still, my reaction is unchanged: who in their right mind…?
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The good words that have been said and written about Michael O’Regan, whose death at 70 last Sunday took us all by surprise, bear repeating. Michael was an outstanding political journalist with The Irish Times and covered happenings in Leinster House for many years. He was renowned for being a generous mentor to younger journalists and a font of wisdom on politics in Ireland and beyond. As such, when he kindly complimented my analysis here or elsewhere, it wasn’t just praise – it was the highest sort of praise.
In a busy, albeit too brief, retirement, during which he overcame cancer and wrote courageously about the experience, he brought a valuable perspective to the many radio and television programmes he appeared on. Michael also achieved legendary status on Twitter/X. Whether discussing and debating the key issues or extolling the virtues of everything Kerry, especially the footballers of the cherished county of his birth, Michael’s was a lively and treasured presence on the beleaguered platform. Indeed, those acquainted with him from social media might say that he is now the guiding light for the #Kexit movement he founded!
Getting to know Michael a bit at a personal level was a privilege. He wore his intellect lightly. He was a master storyteller. He was usually smiling or laughing and those in his company followed suit. In my conversations with him, he invariably demonstrated a huge interest in Irish America and a commitment to preserving the vitality of the sacred, mutually beneficial relationship our two countries enjoy.
My thoughts and prayers are with his beloved family, close friends and dear colleagues. May the late, great Michael O’Regan rest in peace.
Larry Donnelly is a Boston lawyer, a Law Lecturer at the University of Galway and a political columnist with TheJournal.ie.
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