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First of all, thanks to God for the recent rains. In riding throughout the Southwest Georgia counties, most of our crops look great. The peanuts vines, particularly, have begun to overlap and the dirt between the rows is hardly visible.

I was told recently by one of our great farmers that it is about thirty more days and many patches of peanuts will hit the 100 day mark. That is the time when the nuts will be mature enough to boil. He said that they won’t dig the peanuts until about 150 days of growth, but at 100 days, they will be “good to go” for boiling. Only thirty days!

On another subject, it seems that this presidential election cycle is going to be one for the history books. There was the attempted assassination attempt last week and, lo and behold, the announcement, this week, that the current president will not seek re-election. That hasn’t happened in over one-half century.

I remember that bombshell, Oval Office announcement in 1968 when President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) began his famous statement with what is now a very common few words, “My fellow Americans.” Then, LBJ told the nation that he “shall not seek, and will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”

The Vietnam War was at its height and had divided the nation to the point where LBJ did not seem to have any answers as to ending or winning the war.

Currently, our nation faces serious division again. In our system of government, the office of the presidency is front and center; the most powerful, political office in our nation and the world. Physical strength and a sharp mind is necessary. Plus, optics matter. In other words, what the nation and the world sees in the person who occupies that office will, either, generate confidence or doubt.

There have been questions about the current president for a while. If we will be honest with ourselves, we have seen the evidence. His staff and Party have protected him in too many ways, but in these recent weeks, especially after the disastrous debate in June, the evidence has been overwhelming.

Then came the COVID 19 diagnosis. Americans and the world saw the president stumble up the stairs to Air Force One and had to be helped to get in his SUV. Clearly, President Biden was right to stand down for the 2024 election.

            Thankfully, the show will go on and we will have a Presidential election. It looks like Vice-President Kamala Harris will be the Democrat nominee and will challenge Republican Donald Trump for the powerful office. The United States and the free world will have a new leader.

            But, there is another situation that might be called grave or serious. Six months are left in the current administration’s term. When we consider how much can happen, negatively, in a dangerous world, six months can alter national or world history.

            It has been true that the office of the Presidency of the United States of America can be the most powerful and influential “bully pulpit” in the world. It can be a force for good, but an absence in the office can be a force for bad.

            Six months out, a president can decide to not stand for the office. In our current state, that decision is right. At the same time, there is no six month interval where an absence of action is good for anyone. It seems that we are between the rock and the hard place.

            Too many things can happen between now and January 21, 2025. Lord help and protect our beautiful nation.