In the US presidential election, they are facing each other Joe Biden81, and Donald Trump77.
The candidate line-up was practically clear earlier, but the Super Tuesday of the primaries sealed the participants in the duel. Now we are competing to see which option is less bad for the Americans, writes ‘s U.S. correspondent Iida Tikka in his analysis.
Americans have been horrified by the high age of the candidates. In addition, people all over the world wonder why there are no more qualified, younger and more capable candidates in the country.
In this article, we compiled the six most important reasons why the struggle for power is going on between these two, even though a large part of Americans would not want either of them as president.
1. The most powerful men in the world don’t want to give up their position
It’s only natural that Biden and Trump face off again. The most powerful men in the world don’t give up their positions without a fight.
The situation in the elections is so special that two sitting presidents are now pitted against each other: Biden, who has ruled the United States for the past season. And Trump, who has served as president for the previous term and is mistakenly seen by many supporters as the winner of the 2020 election. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the 2020 elections were fraudulent, even though there is no evidence of this.
Traditionally in the United States, the president who won the previous election represents his party in the next election as well, and therefore Biden is a natural choice for the Democrats. Trump is doing well as a candidate for those who believe that the victory in 2020 should have belonged to him.
2. Money gives you power
According to estimates, both Biden and Trump can spend more than a billion on their campaigns.
It is common for candidates who have a lot of money or are able to raise it to be successful in parties. Young politicians have usually accumulated less personal wealth and wealthy networks than their older colleagues.
Recently, there has been speculation that the young multi-millionaire celebrities might also use their power in politics. For example, a pop star From Taylor Swift there have been requests for endorsements on behalf of Biden or a younger liberal candidate. However, political opinions can hinder celebrities’ own business, which raises their threshold to publicly support their favorite candidate.
3. The two-party system favors ringed foxes
Minor parties have younger candidates, but they practically have no chance of success.
When there are only two viable parties, there are only two frameworks within which politicians can advance.
When the talented group concentrates on two parties, they have to wait a long time for their advancement to leadership positions and often have already reached an advanced age when they become presidential candidates.
4. The president must be at least 35 years old
It is often explained that in the United States the “boomers” have a tighter grip on power than in other countries, and the younger generations do not get any space in politics at all. However, it’s not always the end-of-years who make it through the elections.
During the last thirty years, relatively young candidates have also participated in the elections, and some of them have even won the elections. For example, the Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were under 50 years old when they took office.
However, you cannot run for office at a very young age, because according to the constitution, the president of the United States must be at least 35 years old.
On the other hand, in the congress you can see almost exclusively greyhounds. It’s because campaigning is hugely expensive, requires experience and networks. And once elected, one can maintain one’s position in Congress for decades. However, the president is changed at least every eight years.
5. There would be qualified young candidates, but they don’t have the opportunity right now
The parties are not only looking for the best president, but for a candidate who would get to the White House.
Among the Republicans, Trump has gained new people in the party’s supporters and members. He himself has boasted a bit exaggeratingly that he has reached a position where he could even shoot a person in the middle of New York, and the supporters still just cheered for him.
One could also think that Trump is the candidate because his passionate supporters are eager to vote in the primaries.
In the primaries, as Trump’s counter-candidate, many glass ceilings have been broken Nikki Haley. She is a youthful, middle-aged woman of Indian background, who, however, had no chance in these primaries.
Biden, on the other hand, is the Democratic candidate because he himself wants to be. In general, it’s worth challenging a sitting president, which potential counter-candidates know.
In addition, Biden has already beaten Trump once, so there is no reason to change the candidate.
6. The white old man corresponds to the American image of a power user
White men have exercised power in the United States since the beginning of the country’s history.
Over time, the idea has become established that a white man with merit in politics can become president at the end of his career, when he has accumulated enough experience and prestige.
However, the image is changing. Barack Obama proved that the president can be black. Donald Trump, on the other hand, showed that the president can behave impulsively and distort the truth. There are other signs of change.
In the 2020 Democratic primaries, there were women, young people, blacks and sexual minorities running, which many on the field would have gladly supported. However, primary voters may have considered the white, experienced man as a safer choice for Trump’s counter-candidate.
For the story, the interview was given by a researcher from the Foreign Policy Institute Maria LindenPhD student at the University of Turku Oscar Winberg and editor of Kauppalehti following the US elections From Tuomo Hyttinen.