it ain't over til it's over: an inner debate between my head and my heart after presidential debate...

Well, last night's Presidential debate was NOT for the feint of heart: Mr. Biden not only looked lost in the beginning, but sounded... what? Disoriented? Drugged? At odds as to the consequences of a poor performance? All of the above? And Mr. Trump - our once Liar-and-Groper-in-Chief? He was certainly the more commanding presence even as he lied in the most outrageous manner. Accusing the Democrats of infanticide? Projecting his failures on to the Biden Administration? Dodging bullet after bullet with belligerence and obfuscation? All of the above and more? Without a doubt. 

Today I am experiencing an inner debate within myself concerning my head and my heart. No sooner did the President walk on the stage, shuffling and looking oddly pale as befits an 81 year old person fighting off a cold, than my heart sank: this is all over before it begins I felt wondering why someone on his team didn't consult Sir Paul McCartney who is also 81? When the former President took the stage a moment later, his orange hue had been toned down, his faux-Mussolini scowl was still intact, and he showed up exuding bravado - false or not - making Biden's pallor even more troubling. And for the next 30+ minutes, I found myself wondering: where IS the President and why is he so incoherent? Trump was bombastic in his lies, over powering the foggy insights Biden tried to articulate. 

Suddenly, about 25 minutes into the fray, the light inside Biden seemed to come on as he literally looked like he had risen from the dead. There was a sharp focus absent at the start. He spoke in complete sentences and had command of the values being contested by his opponent. He avoided the "cute stories about his dad" that have outlived their usefulness. And he was fully engaged. Trump simply ratcheted up his revilement - as is his want - without any relationship to the truth. Fact checkers afterwards (see https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/ 28/us/trump-biden-debate) noted 45's increasingly fraudulent hyperbole which was intended to appeal to our deepest fears. And from my perspective, Trump succeeded. He diminished Biden, he evoked emotion, and he continued to amplify the "strong man" persona celebrated by the current crop of fascists. Sadly, the President's resurrection came too late in the debate so the former President's grandiosity captured the moment. 

Given that most of my fellow Americans don't pay much attention to politics - for both good and bad reasons - this debate was clearly a win for Mr. Trump. And while Mr. Biden looked alive today in North Carolina - and sounded engaged, too - for the time being, angst will rule the day amongst those who oppose 45. Yes, it is still early in the struggle; and yes, President Obama failed to rise to the occasion during his first debate as President, too; so as Yogi Berra wisely told us: it ain't over til it's over! But my heart aches for another candidate - not RFK or any of the other pretenders - just someone more vibrant, articulate, and focused. I get why the Dems are wringing their hands, trying to clean up the President's mess, and doing spin control 24/7. But I think Nancy Pelosi had the most thoughtful response - and it is what my head is trying to hold on to right now. When asked if the Democratic Party needed a new nominee, she said: "NO. From a performance standpoint it wasn’t great, but from a values standpoint it far outshone the other guy,”

As a committed follower of Jesus, values matter - and no matter how you slice it - Joe beats Donald in this realm hands down. Biden has delivered working people a practical populism that remained only rhetoric during Trump's term. The President cares about those who are vulnerable and afraid; the former President only cares about himself. So, as one who trusts the Anointed and Resurrected Jesus over any and all politicians, my head impels me to stay the course with Biden. Calls for a new nominee, if truly useful, have time to ripen. My hunch, however, is that they will likely shrivel on the vine because it ain't over til it's over, right? And politics as life is filled with surprises. I lament last night. Even grieve it. But know that a poor performance in a debates is not the end of the story. I trust and serve a God whose love is greater than all of that - and that remains even should the Orange won win.

image credit: Avasna Pandey https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2017/06/10/head-over-heart