Partisan struggle will not end with Biden's withdrawal

US President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 US presidential election on Sunday came as no surprise.

More than a dozen Republicans called on Biden to step down on Sunday, saying that his unwillingness to continue to campaign raises questions about his ability to continue to govern. In his statement, Biden said that he will finish his term, which ends on Jan 20, 2025, and his fellow Democrats blasted the Republican call for him to step down as "ridiculous".

But despite Biden's decision not to seek reelection, the scale is still tipped in favor of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reentering the White House, judging from the polls. His performance last time he held office had far-reaching consequences that have lasted till now in the US and beyond. The United States, along with the rest of the world, must be fully prepared for more of the same if he wins November's election. But whatever the outcome, the political division and partisan dogfighting in Washington are sure to continue.

Any hopes of the two parties being able to meaningfully and constructively work together are nothing more than wishful thinking. And with Europe now convulsed by similar political polarity and social divisions, a dark shadow has been cast over the global governance system at a time when solidarity and coordination are essential to resolve the hotspot issues and common challenges roiling the world.

Both Trump and Biden, as well as Vice-President Kamala Harris, whom Biden has proposed to replace him as the Democratic nominee in the election, seem ready to continue to blame the US' troubles on foreign countries in a bid to divert domestic attention from the core challenges faced by the US and both parties' lack of solutions.

The US people should realize that the primary challenge confronting their country is the partisan politics that prevents effective action to remedy the US' woes. The partisan one-upmanship squeezes the space for any substantial reforms to improve the country's institutions and governance, since this would unavoidably touch the cheese of a few at the top of the social pyramid though it would be good for most at the bottom.

While the nation is looking to its leaders for true vision and ability to resolve crises, those in the pool of its future leaders should stop telling the people to live with the dirty tricks of partisan politics that is only good at creating crises and playing an all-their-fault blame game.