Well, the New Year has begun in earnest, hasn’t it? We turned the corner from the holiday and woke to a brand new year filled with…another year of the election campaign!

The one last yer was jus a work up to this one, a sort of exercise in sorting reality. MR. Trump looked strong in the GOP iowa Caucus, ringing in at more than half the votes. Governor DeSantis saw his earlier poll numbers sink from 30% down to just over twenty. Former UN Ambassador Haley was just behind that at nineteen percent. The impish MR. Ramaswami held less than ten percent and dropped out.

So, it appears Mr. Trump has a commanding lead after this first official show-off. Which leaves us a little depressed, since the eight year campaign against him has got a little creaky. His opponent has only made public appearances four times in the last twenty days. He appears to be mounting another basement campaign.

That is just the domestic front. The Secretary Austin hospitalization is another weird one. It appears to have reached an end and the SECDEF is home again, but not without some anxiety about his whereabouts since before Christmas. The israelis have penetrated the tunnel system under Gaza and are continuing a sweep of Hamas forces. Meanwhile, the Persian proxes to the north of Israel, Hezbollah, is keeping the tension high with rocket fire at the IDF to the south.

The US Navy is engaged with sporadic conflict with Iranian-sponsored Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Russian Special military operation in Ukraine continues, now well into the second year. North Korea is reportedly providing artillery shells and rockets to bolster modest Russian advances in chilly wet weather. Due to shortages of troops n both sides, the draft age has risen in both countries to support continuing operations. This week marks the second in an outbreak of narco-violence in Latin America, with Cartel thugs crashing a television show and dragging participnts away.

What is next here in America? The legal shenanigans have picked up as well. The litany of charges against the former Chief executive have hit some interesting judicial potholes, including charges Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis hired a special prosecutor who also was her boyfriend. There is activity on the other side as well, with Hunter Biden appearing to hold the United States Congress in Contempt.

There is a growing consensus that this election in American is going to be something different from our usual peaceful change of power. Actually, there are some who are saying tht it may not transfer any power at all. But we will see, won’t we? It is is going to be a long ten months! Could be fun, though.

Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com