Published on March 15, 2024, 12:58 am

In a scene from “As Good As It Gets,” Greg Kinnear’s character, Simon, makes a profound statement to Melvin, played by Jack Nicholson: “The best thing you have going for you is your willingness to humiliate yourself.” Fittingly, the same could be said about the sitting vice president of the United States. Kamala Harris’s oratory prowess has proven lackluster at its peak but was particularly confounding during her recent attempt to explain the crisis in Israel following Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7 that claimed over 1,300 Israeli lives.

Harris’s meandering dialogue on the conflict only highlighted Biden administration’s apparent partialness towards Palestinians in Gaza over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The underlying motive seems to be securing Muslim American votes in time for the November presidential election.

When discussing Israel’s ongoing, five-month war with Hamas, Harris stated: “This subject… there’s an appetite a lot of people have for it to be binary, as though it’s one thing or another when, in fact many things are true at simultaneous times.” Her rhetoric seemed out-of-touch and inadequate in addressing the complex situation while doing little to clarify her stance or solution. Behind her remarks lie a deeper problem faced by Democrats.

On one hand, they must satisfy Jewish American voters who predominantly support their party despite consistent criticism of Israel; on the other hand lies much-needed pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian votes necessary to win success at upcoming polls.

Biden himself isn’t without blame either as he recently announced his ambitious plan during his State of Union speech to provide humanitarian aid through building a ‘temporary port’ in Gaza with US Armed Forces’ help. The proposed project already faces opposition due to Hamas’s history of usurping such supplies forcefully. Scores within his party also criticize his handling of Israel’s right to self-defense against Hamas aggression.

The Democratic party finds itself trapped between tricky political boundaries. Sharing this precarious landscape, Harris’s attempt to provide an intellectual breakdown of the issue only seems to fuel the flames. In their haste to sway votes on all sides, Biden and the Democratic party find themselves wedged between hard positions.

It’s becoming increasingly relevant that understanding such complex geopolitical diplomatic matters requires more than mere words without clear direction or strategy. Regardless of their policies, decision-makers must offer robust solutions rather than political platitudes upon addressing dramatic geopolitical events rooted in the real news sphere. The outcomes significantly impact major worldviews, necessitating trusted news outlets to help dissect these crucial issues from a balanced perspective.