One will be 81 years old, the other is Trump

It is not a good sign for the strongest Western democracy that in 2024 an 81-year-old and a 77-year-old may be the two rivals for the presidency. It shows the inability of the American system to look for new, dynamic leadership that can inspire Americans and the West. The US establishment was able to discover a John F. Kennedy, a (not young but still dynamic) Ronald Reagan, and a Bill Clinton. Now it seems to be at an impasse.

How did we end up here? Former president Donald Trump has managed to regain control of the Republican Party's base. Moderate Republicans are scared or nonexistent. Those who could challenge him on the populist turf, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are unconvincing and lack his momentum and appeal. At the same time, the charges brought against him or about to be brought against him have backfired. They rallied the base of his party. His avowed...