So far 2024 is boiling down to two old white men battling it out

So far, 2024 is boiling down to two old white men battling it out. The question before the voters should not be who is older in years but who is younger in heart and mind. The age difference is only three years.  They both are old.  It is the politics of yesterday versus the politics of today and tomorrow, not the politics of who looks or sounds older.  The winner should be the younger at heart and in mind.  It should be, but could it be? 

With .ageism on the ballot and in the minds of the voters, one would think that Trump holds the advantage. Why Joe Biden's Age Is a Problem, but Donald Trump's Isn't (newsweek.com) The question before the voters should not be who is older in years, but who is younger in their heads and policies,  being in step with those issues popular with the majority and who concentrates building a  more prosperous future with the support of infrastructure and manufacturing.  It is the politics of yesterday versus the politics of today and tomorrow, not the politics of who looks or sounds older.  It should be and will be the winner, the younger at heart.One, the incumbent, looks old, walks old, and talks in weaker tones,  and the other, only three years younger, exudes energy and, with coiffed hair, good makeup, booming podium delivery, and a still good golf swing. He makes you forget he is as old as he is. With both likely on the ballot, there appear to be no strong challengers, just more wishful thinkers, wishful wannabes,  and wishful voters hoping for younger candidates.  The irony is that the one who looks older, Joe Biden, thinks young about the now and the future, and the vigorous one, Donald Trump thinks the country should return to some undefined time in the past. His constant message is the present and future are something to be feared so fear it fully and keep it from happening again as long as you can. 

If not either Trump or Biden, then who? So far, both have control of their political parties. The choice will be between two in November, not between many and the lack of enthusiasm is going to be cured only by candidate messaging. The choice will be a stark one.  Biden's strong suit is his support of popular issues. particularly on abortion and gun safety, and above all, the personal and ethical flaws of his likely opponent, Trump himself. Trump's strength lies in his ability to tap fear and loathing of the status quo lurking in the heart of those who sense they have drawn the short cultural and racial straw.   The constant drumbeat of crime rates rising is not only drawing on fear and paranoia, hyped and exaggerated, but it is what the GOP has always used as a fall-back winning issue when the appeal of other issue positions fails. Crime to the right means something different than it does to the rest of the country.  Crime means murder and property theft to them. To the rest of the country, particularly the use of weapons of war to slaughter innocents are the crimes they fear more. 

 Biden has no challengers; Trump has a bunch, with DeSantis in the hunt holding on to 30% of the GOP voters polled. Even then, DeSantis is losing strength, not gaining it as he grasps at straws to steal voters from Trump, showing his personality flaws and lack of judgment, trying to be the unTrump, while trying to outflank Trump on the right wing.  He seems not even able to make inroads into the Trumpists in his own party, as the Florida delegation to Congress chooses the other Floridian, the snowbird from Queens, as their enduring candidate.  The looming possible criminal procedures and civil lawsuits are simply brushed off as dirty politics as usual as his devoted fans bond with him emotionally and ignore his lies and any facts to the contrary.  They support the most extreme abortion bans of 50 years ago that less than a third of the public polled support, they place the removal of student debt relief in their budget proposals, and hope that the baby boomers do not notice that their health care and retirement abilities are constantly being threatened by cut back to give relief to the very wealthy.  They do not care if a planet in crisis will cripple the lives of the future; it is only now that counts, so use up the resources while you can, and sneer at promoting new, lasting resources now.

In the meantime, Biden looks to the future, reshaping American manufacturing to meet present and future needs using whatever policy he can use and whatever legislation he can get through Congress. He wants those who have power after him not to have to deal with political violence and the division of a country hyped into tribal hatred. He understands that women must be in the workplace to keep the middle class in some measure of comfort and their children should not be mired in student debt as they try to develop skills needed for the future. He understands that guns should be kept out of the hands of those who want death by cop or try to carry out their murderous fantasies on children.  He sees diversity as an asset and the demographics will keep on marching forward, regardless of all of the racism and disdain for what the old white men of the GOP pass for values that are those of decades past. 

NBC News poll: Nearly 70% of GOP voters stand behind Trump amid indictment and investigations