The Classroom of Governance: Biden, Harris, and the Lesson of Hurricane Milton

In many ways, sitting in a classroom listening to lectures may seem like the easiest task. Yet, even children resist being confined, passively absorbing information without meaningful engagement. They crave participation, interaction, and action. Similarly, leadership without true involvement, transparency, and proactive decision-making can lead to frustration, confusion, and, in the worst cases, disaster.

This is what appears to be happening with the Biden-Harris administration, as they come together for the first time since Kamala Harris's nomination to take a joint briefing on Hurricane Milton. In this metaphorical classroom, they are the students, being lectured on the approaching disaster. While they sit in the briefing room for hours, the nation watches, wondering what meaningful action will be taken.

However, as with a disengaged classroom, the issue is not just the act of sitting together; it's the lack of real participation and collective action. An effective classroom thrives on the involvement of both the students and the teacher. In this scenario, the classroom is America, the students are the people, and the teacher is the government. Without genuine engagement from all sides, no progress can be made.

The years between 2020 and 2024 have felt like a never-ending lecture for many Americans, dramatized by a series of events that have shaken the public's confidence. From the lack of transparency regarding President Biden's health to the repeated failures of the administration to respond promptly to crises, Americans at home and abroad have felt let down. The American people—whether connected to the country by history, geography, or science—have witnessed the administration's damaging lack of sincerity and openness.

Globally, the cracks in America's leadership are visible, from the deforestation of the Amazon to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Once the shining beacon of the "American Dream," states like California and cities like Chicago now reflect a nation grappling with internal challenges. And perhaps most starkly, the people of North Carolina, repeatedly neglected during crises, have turned to their neighbors for help, relying on their communities when the government has failed them.

The administration's inability to respond effectively to crises has become a recurring theme. Whether it's the slow response times or the total failure to act, the pattern is clear: without true participation, transparency, and leadership, the classroom of governance becomes a space of disengagement and mistrust. The question now is whether this administration can learn the lesson in time, or if it will continue to leave Americans feeling abandoned in the face of the storms—both literal and figurative—that they face.