Biden and Democrats revel in surprise US midterm outcome

The oldest president in US history, with questions over his mental fitness, had an outstanding first midterm election. Of the 19 presidents since 1898 in their first midterm, only three performed better as they had faced the national crises of the Depression, Cuban missile crisis and the terrorist attack of 9/11. Biden’s two young Democratic predecessors, Clinton and Obama, copped shellackings in their first midterms, losing between them 14 Senate seats and 117 House members. Questions over Joe Biden running for a second term are surely on the backburner. The same cannot be said for Donald Trump, who had endorsed many of the key losing Republican candidates.

Tony Nicod, Collaroy, NSW

There’s much speculation as to why the red wave flattened to a mild swell at the midterms, but two indicators stand out: Trump’s dark shadow and the legacy of Roe v Wade. As Stephen Loosley contends (“Sleeper issues turned red wave into trickle”, 11/11) midterms are a referendum on the party that holds the White House and on that measure there should have been a tsunami. Porous borders, record inflation and doubts as to lucidity of the President pointed to a rout.

It didn’t materialise but Democrats know winter is coming. With the loss of the House the Biden administration’s agenda is over regardless of final numbers in the Senate. Interest now lies with the race for the White House.

Kim Keogh, East Fremantle, WA

Time for transition

Ian Morison raises an interesting point when he says that if we cease using fossil fuels to support our Western lifestyle it will lead to economic collapse followed by societal breakdown. (Letters, 11/11) Paradoxically, that’s exactly what I’m seeing with the use of fossil fuels to drive our Western lifestyles: floods, famines, fire and social disruption on a global scale. Nuclear-armed despots squeezed by the same environmental and economic pressures just add another dimension to the situation. The need to find a balanced transition from fossil fuels is becoming quite urgent and it’s obvious we’re going to have to work together to make the transition as seamless as possible. We just may have to put the extravagant parts of our Western lifestyle on hold until it’s done.

John Mosig, Kew, Vic

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen won’t admit that thousands of wind generators and thousands of hectares of solar panels, now in operation, were installed in the last nine years under the LNP’s thoughtful and steady transition to renewables. Reminds me of the children’s story of the hare and the tortoise.

Peter Lauricella, Beerwah, Qld

On Friday, the world’s population was to reach 8 billion. This has doubled in 50 years. The last billion took 11 years at a rate of 90 million per year. For the world to live at the standard of consumption in Australia it would need to be just 2 billion, which it was in 1950. We cannot continue the fairytale of GDP growth on a finite planet. “The single most effective way for families to reduce their carbon footprint is to have one child less per family,” said Sir David Attenborough. This can only be achieved by the education and empowerment of women and freely available contraception.

Colin Hughes, Midland, WA

War fears

Peter Jennings (“PM’s likely meeting with Xi won’t alter strategic realities”, 11/11) cynically dismisses Anthony Albanese’s likely meeting with President Xi Jinping for not being able to alter the strategic reality of China’s globally competitive relationship with the US.

That reality was brought into sharp focus this week by the overseer of US Strategic Command’s nuclear forces, Admiral Charles Richard, who warned the war in Ukraine was a mere warm-up exercise for the “big one” to come. While dressed in military fatigues, President Xi Jinping likewise this week exhorted his forces to concentrate all their energy in fighting a war and in enhancing their ability to win. Both these leaders leave the world in no doubt we are heading precipitously towards what could be the most horrific war of all time.

Vincent Zankin, Rivett, ACT

The concept of National Service for young adults, as raised by former prime minister Tony Abbott, should be considered thoughtfully. As a young woman when it was last implemented for my male peers, I was witness to the often stunning effect it had on those who went through the training. They went in callow youths and came out fit, capable young men, often with skills they had never envisaged possessing. While today such a scheme would also encompass young women, I have no doubt that a similar sharpening of focus would occur. Focus and purpose are becoming more necessary. National Service may be the means of that occurring in a generation that has never needed it more urgently.

Noelle Oke, Albury, NSW