THE announcement of President Biden's quitting the race on the weekend after the four-day circus-like enthronement of Trump as a cult leader at the GOP convention was a stroke of genius. In one fell swoop, the afterglow turned into a chilling gloom when Biden pulled the rug from underneath the basically Biden-centric GOP campaign strategy. They didn't have a plan B. There were no issues on public policies that Trump can boast of during his four-year term comparable to Biden's, except for his false claims on how good the economy was under him and how he caused the Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade. Now, he had to backtrack on abortion and leave the issues to the states. A confusing reversal that is costing him women's votes. Thus, he had to skirt discussions on public issues, the economy, foreign relations and, more particularly, the Covid pandemic — where Trump, with his criminal incompetence, caused the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans. The lingering image of Trump's stupidity is his suggestion to arrest and cure Covid by passing a light through the body and injecting bleaching agents defines his sad response to America's pandemic tragedy. The man is insane!

From exultation to despair

But this week, the Democrats wrested the initiative away from the Republicans and nullified their three-week euphoria — from the debacle of that debate to the Supreme Court Trump-complicit ruling on presidential immunity, the quashing of the criminal charges on the illegally acquired classified document cases; and the failed assassination attempt.

The latter was made more controversial, with a very late FBI report released 13 days after the incident. "I took a bullet and live," he bragged. Apparently, a bullet fragment or broken shard of glass from the teleprompter hit his right ear. In a tongue-in-cheek meme that went viral, a more appropriate statement should have been, "I survived an assassination attempt by a teleprompter." This is not to belittle the incident, which was despicable in American politics and unacceptable by any measure in civilized society. But given Trump's play for hyperbole, people become somewhat jaded by his overtures.

But the unprecedented declaration of Biden last Sunday caught many by surprise. The Democratic leadership, of course, anticipated Biden's move as they have in the past week been giving hints that the old man must go. The man had a glimpse of where he stood at this particular moment in American history. Biden's giving up the presidential race for the Democratic Party and, more importantly, for the American people is yet the most eloquent act he has done. It was no less than bold. It was heroic! "It's not about me. It's not about one person. It's about our country. It's about our democracy!" With that, he establishes his place among the rarified pantheon of great American presidents.

Trump in panic — terrified

Vice President Kamala Harris has been endorsed by Biden to take his place and would now be the Democratic presidential nominee. Kamala is 59 years old, and the total contrast between the two potential opponents is palpable. Kamala is an excellent and hardworking prosecutor experienced in dealing with criminals and convicted felons. In her first speech to her campaign HQ, she said: "I have been a prosecutor. I know Trump's type — a predator who abuses and preys on women. A fraudster who ripped off consumers... cheaters who broke the rules for their own gains."

For months, Trump and the GOP touted Biden as senile and old. Biden's act of taking himself away from the fray altered the equation. Trump is now the senile old candidate ever — older even than the hero of the once formidable GOP, Ronald Reagan, before MAGA perverted the Republicans, who was 73 as a presidential candidate in his second term. Trump is now 78. Aside from his senility, his campaign speeches showed a cognitively impaired individual, slurring his speeches, his thoughts wandering about, prone to recounting non-sequiturs during MAGA campaign rallies of "the battery, the shark and the swimmer... and Hannibal Lecter." But what struck fear in Trump is the creeping clamor for him to also do a Biden. The temptation to likewise replace Trump for the same reason Biden is being replaced is compelling — age and senility, plus dementia, to boot.

The Republican strategists are panicking about the entrance of a Black woman — with an intellect far surpassing that of the Donald and an excellent debater who could eat Trump alive in any debate. Trump may have been precipitate in picking up his "mini-me" in J.D. Vance. In retrospect, Nikki Haley, the apostate turned ass-kisser, now appears to have been the better choice and could even turn out to be the perfect replacement for Trump — if Donald even had half the courage and patriotic sense of Biden. The GOP Nikki Haley-J.D. Vance tandem could be a passable Republican alternative.

America's clear choices

With Biden out of the picture, the political conversation leading toward November could now be framed more clearly. It has been the conventional thinking that America didn't have clear choices in this election. Two spent old men both attacking each other for their personal incapacities — not much on the policies and program of government that would redound to the benefit not only of their constituents but of the world — as America assumes its responsibilities as world hegemon. Biden simplified the divide by passing on the torch of political leadership to a much younger set of leaders and a totally new paradigm. Kamala Harris personified this. A black working professional woman, who paid her dues breaking glass ceilings reaching the pinnacle of political life as senator and vice president. One can just imagine the path Kamala had to navigate amidst the white male-dominated politics.

Contrast this with Trump, the convicted felon, a scam artist, and a rapist. He passed himself off as a billionaire casino owner who went bankrupt six times with more than a dozen businesses, from an airline to hotels, magazines and a university that had to close. He only paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. He is a racist adored by neo-Nazis and white nationalists. This list could go on and on. The choice is now clear between the Trump kleptocracy and chaos versus Kamala's competence.

Trump and the GOP are running out of options, reduced to attacking Kamala for her race and gender. All they can do now is dig dirt and turn the political conversation into ad hominem attacks. Trump's initial public speeches describe Kamala as "a bum," rejecting his advisers' caution against such inarticulate and puerile attacks, pinning her instead on the failures of the Biden administration. On the other hand, it's a no contest as Kamala, the prosecutor, knows precisely how to handle criminals. She has sent her fair share to the slammer.

But the end of the MAGA tandem may be in sight. The lackluster J.D. Vance is an embarrassment, a liability and there is a growing movement among the disgruntled Republicans to replace his doppelgänger. They may have to scrape the barrel for a last-minute replacement. Nikki Haley may yet see her star rise.