After watching the Trump Biden Presidential Debate from an iPhone screen last June (2024), aside from feeling a mix of being crushed and despairing and angry, I felt that Biden's performance confirmed how right many were that he should have exited the race long ago. War might walk back some of that conviction. It at least questions it. Whatever the reasons were for Biden's delay in exiting the race (Woodward argues that Biden, with the hubris of a presidential candidate, I can't help but notice, was convinced that there was no one else on the horizon suited for the mix of fucked-up to handle, between Ukraine and Gaza, in particular) he was surrounded by competence, reason, and restraint.
Some of the more surprising revelations are how far in advance the US knew of Putin's planned invasion of Ukraine, how unsurprising Putin's adamant denial of those plans was, and how much the threat of nuclear war had steered decisions (the White House at one point believing there was a 50% chance of nuclear war). The aftermath of the October 7th Hamas Israel invasion has been another geopolitical mess that has mixed up highly emotionally charged responses from Bibi Netanyahu and civilians within the Arab speaking world which has, in turn, hampered the ability of the Saudi Crown Prince MBS to further 'normalization' with Israel, but not it's ability to help foil an Iranian missle attack.