The current US Presidential race has been a wild affair so far. It is such a rollercoaster ride that even the astute political pundits feel dizzy. To start with, you have the dramatic comeback of Donald Trump. Buried and thought to be left for dead under multiple fraud investigations, no one saw him demolishing opposition within his part to win the Presidential nomination. The fact that he is a convicted felon mattered to literally no one. Presidential races are ultimately popularity contests. And Trump knows how to remain popular! Trump entered the race against an incumbent President with such force that his winning the election almost felt like a foregone conclusion. The deteriorating faculties of the incumbent President Biden were often at the crossroads with his ambition. That played very well in Trump's campaign. The first televised debate was a disaster for President Biden. The incoherence, the stumbling, the mumblings were a cringe of epic proportion. Trump got an opportunity to debate with himself, and he did well.
As if that was not enough, Trump was (slightly off) the center of a deplorable attempt on his life. Violence or assassinations have no place in a civil society. However, Trump's campaign just hit another jackpot with the failed assassination attempt. This event not only bolstered Trump's image as a resilient leader but also significantly increased his campaign funds for the 2024 election (that he is accused and convicted of using for his gains in the last election campaign). Trump's campaign was probably hiring an interior decorator to redesign the white house Presidential bedroom!
There is a reason political drama is hard to predict. It's a classic butterfly effect. As Trump, in his mind, was readying himself to ascend the throne, he overplayed his hand. The debacle of the televised debate forced the opposition to take drastic measures. In an unprecedented move, the Democratic Party forced the incumbent President to resign from running again. As if that was not enough, the Party decided to punt wild and nominated a woman with mixed racial background, Kamala Harris. This decision was a strategic move to appeal to a broader voter base and to provide a fresh perspective in the race. Initial reactions to Kamala Harris's nomination were decidedly mixed. The last time Americans had a choice of electing a woman President, they elected Trump! Will the history repeat itself? Perhaps. However, to everyone's surprise, Kamala Harris's campaign is progressing. Undecided voters are leaning towards voting for Harris. These undecided voters hated Trump, but they hated Biden more. Kamala Harris's candidacy provided these undecided voters an honorable way out; now they are banding together behind her. Trump and his campaign managers did not see this coming. They are found completely flat-footed. Trump is panicking, and instead of adjusting, continuing with his old strategy of personally attacking his opposition, constantly lying on everything, and, instead of any sensible policy, blabbering randomly on random matters. The only difference between President Biden's and Trump's incoherence is Trump sounds very confident!
You can fool some people sometimes, you can fool all the people one time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time! Trump is likely to find that out the hard way in November. His rabble-rousing has aroused the apathetic voters, who will likely come out en masse to vote against him!
The rapid shifts in political fortunes are a testament to the unpredictable nature of the US Presidential race. The old adage of 'it's not done till it's done' holds true, and with a month and a half left until the elections, the potential outcomes are significant. While things can still change, for now, it seems Kamala Harris's candidacy is on the brink of a significant development in the White House.
