Expert says Pacific 'jeopardised’ following Biden’s exit

US President Joe Biden’s sudden decision to bow out of the election race could put the Pacific’s plans for revitalisation and resilience in jeopardy, a political expert says.

Pacific Mornings hosted a panel on yesterday’s shock announcement with Canterbury University pro vice-chancellor and political sociologist, Professor Steven Ratuva, geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller and Waikato University Law professor Alexander Gillespie.

Ratuva told host William Terite that Biden's call to quit, alongside the potential return to power of former President Donald Trump could spell trouble for the Pacific.

"Biden was trying to engage with the Pacific after Trump moved away from it," Ratuva said.

"In the Pacific, the most significant issue is to do with climate change which Trump was not a champion of."

Ratuva said Biden's push to re-engage with the Paris Agreement in 2021, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, could be for naught if Trump, who had officially pulled the US out of it a year prior, returns.

Ratuva also said the Pacific's hope that the US could assist with the 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, a major climate change initiative, has been dashed.

"Which is the blueprint for the future of the Pacific - that too will be under jeopardy.

"The US-Pacific partnership which was signed by the leaders of the Pacific Island States and Biden [is] in jeopardy.

"We'll be in a situation where the Blue Pacific is not expecting much from America if Biden goes away."

​​Professor Steven Ratuva spoke on the US and China vying for the Pacific last year. ​Photo /​iStock (backdrop)/Facebook (Ratuva)/PMN News (edit)

Former President Barack Obama expressed gratitude and said Biden would not “back down from a fight” unless Biden believed him stepping away was the right decision for America.

"For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life,” Obama said.

Gillespie shared a similar sentiment with Obama, saying after the attempted assassination on Trump that Biden stepping down "had to happen". Adding to the evidence of this being a reactive decision, Complex re-posted their interview with Biden yesterday where he answered “1,000 per cent” to being asked if he was “100 per cent” running for re-election.

"I think Mr Biden's been a very good president but he did the right thing for his country and party by stepping down,” Gillespie said.

"[Trump’s] got such a lead in the polls right now. [The Democrats] need a completely new sheet with a new candidate who's got a running chance.”

Miller saw Biden stepping down as inevitable considering the President’s many blunders, such as his NATO summit stumble where he called Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, “President Putin”.

"There were all the Democrats who came out openly against [Biden] and that he should stand down," Miller said.

"Over 30 congressional democrats, four US senators, celebrities [like] George Clooney - there was a huge amount of pressure."

Miller also recalled a BET interview where Biden confused his US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Miller said the more Biden did interviews, "the less confident everyone was with his performance”.

Gillespie said the Democrat's next steps will be decided at the Democratic National Convention held between August 19 to 22. He added that many will put their hand up for the Democratic nominee position from now until that convention.

"They all need to remember the first rule of politics and that's learning how to count," Gillespie said.

"They have to get someone who can beat Donald Trump, not necessarily the person they like the best.

"Right now I wouldn't put my money anywhere on who I think's going to come through, but I do think they need someone new."

Pacific Mornings host William Terite (left), Geoffrey Miller (centre) and Alexander Gillespie (right). Photo /Facebook/531pi

Miller contrasted Gillespie saying that it's highly likely Kamala Harris will be the Democratic nominee based on endorsements by Biden and Hillary Clinton.

"I think the Democratic establishment is going to get behind Kamala Harris and the convention in Chicago will be a foregone conclusion - that's a prediction.

"If it is Kamala Harris, we haven't seen her as the top candidate. I think voters’ views always change so I think Kamala Harris will be fine as a candidate [but] we’ll wait and see what US voters think."

Ratuva said for the Pacific, irrespective of their blue or red alignment, a desirable US President is one who will engage more meaningfully with Pacific states especially in relation to climate change.

"Somebody who can engage more with Pacific peoples in relation to substantial issues of health, education and support in the Pacific," he said.

"Somebody in a position who understands where the increase of the region lies, not just in terms of the imperial global interests of strategic control.

"A Pacific voice is usually marginalised within the global context of geopolitics so I think it's important to have somebody who's able to facilitate some of these voices coming through.

"Of course that's very difficult to find from the Democrats or the Republicans.”

Watch the full panel via 531pi’s FB page below: