Moderates must seize political high ground

Now that the dust has settled and emotions have diminished, I would like to share some thoughts and insight on the election of 2024.

Political pundits and multiple op-ed writers categorized “Bidenomics” as an unmitigated disaster. Was it? In 2022, the average inflationary rate was 8.0%. This was due to the war in Ukraine, COVID-19 spending by both Presidents Trump and Biden and supply chain issues exasperated by an unprecedented global pandemic. In 2024, the average inflationary rate was 3.2%. For comparison’s sake, the inflationary rate in 1981 was 10.3%. In 1985, it was 3.5% at the beginning of Ronald Reagan’s second term as POTUS. According to the Federal Planning Bureau, the inflationary rate in 2025 is projected to be 1.8%. Will President-Elect Trump give credit to his predecessor? Furthermore, the unemployment rate in 2024 was 4.1%.

To blame Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection and his subsequent withdrawal from the election in July 2024 as the singular reason for Kamala Harris’ defeat is overly simplified. The line of demarcation for most voters had been drawn. Donald J. Trump’s victory over Harris can be directly attributed to multiple factors: Biden’s decision to renege on his promise to be a one-term, transitional POTUS, the Democrats’ poor job of communicating the success of Bidenomics, the ongoing immigration border issue, increased crime and rioting in cities like Minneapolis as a result of the murder of George Floyd, college protesters supporting a terrorist organization (Hamas) while embracing anti-Semitic measures directed towards Jewish students and blatant misogyny all contributed to a Republican victory in 2024.

The time has come for moderate Americans to speak up and seize the political narrative from the extremists on both the far left and far right. We need to stop shouting and judging and start listening to differing perspectives. The world is watching with trepidation.

Lawrence E. Bonk

Roselle