"There are decades where weeks don’t happen; and there are weeks where decades happen", propounded Vladimir Lenin, the father of Bolshevik Revolution. Looks like the US politics is on its path to mirror the metaphor from the most unexpected persona, with a revolutionary flavor of its own kind.

From President Biden’s evergreen saga of gaffes to a failed assassination attempt on former President Trump’s life to his nomination from RNC, the week has seen it all. As we draw towards the weekend, clamor grows on President Biden to quit and this time he might relent in that too without an “intervention from God!!”.

‘INDECISION 2024’: An Election that excited None!!

It all seemed a dull state of affairs before that ignominious debate at the fag end of June. On the cards was arguably one of the toughest jobs on globe; with contenders being an 81 year old man who cannot remember what he had for the breakfast and a 78 year old ‘sigma-styled’ politician who has criminal cases in multiples of 50. A message which largely resonated with the common populace was “Are these two really the best men we have?”

The society was divide in camps, which it always has been and still is, with depth of fault-lines bringing Pacific Trenches to shame. The political position of an individual has become an integral part (read, the only part!) of his/her identity. Whether you are For or Against abortion, do you think Climate Change is a hoax or not, do you characterize immigration as invasion or not, is all what it takes you to be put in either of the camps: Woke vs MAGA.

This was arguably the most heated yet optimism-lacking pre-electoral buildup until June 27.

Debate: The Fall and Fall and further Downfall of ‘The Guys in Blue’

June 27 brought the two octogenarians on a platform to debate on key issues. Biden has never been a stranger to awkward and sleepy moments, earning himself the moniker of ‘Sleepy Joe’. He holds the record of stumbling thrice on the Air force 1 staircase in a single trip, he often gets froze in events, and he was found loitering around in a G7 event when Italian PM Giorgia Meloni had to come to his rescue. The buildup of debate saw Prez. Biden preparing for the day even more assiduously than a typical JEE-NEET aspirant, at Camp David, going for mock debates in a CNN-resembling studio (so as to familiarize him with coordinates of stairs!).

However this could not prevent the inevitable. President Biden committed gaffes after gaffes, giving full-tosses to Donald Trump on immigration with his anecdote, MediCare with his ‘tongue in teeth’ remark; amplified by his opponent’s usual never-ending energy quota. At the end, he was escorted by the First Lady off the stage.

The journey has been downhill since then.

Should we call the First Lady?

The iconic line from The Dark Night goes, ‘either you die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain’. As if it was written as a message to be conveyed to Joseph R. Biden of 2024. After the disastrous debate night, which was marred by incoherency and haziness on his part, Prez. Biden started pulling all the stops to ‘dodge disillusionment donning his debate debacle.’

White House sought to attribute the fiasco to an alleged cold and a jet lag from a trip 12 days ago! How convincing…! The team also said the ‘over-preparation’ for the debate might have taken its toll.

A reporter even asked the Press Secretary whom to contact in case of a nuclear threat issued past the Joe’s bedtime. The First Lady?

In the following days, ‘The BIG BOYS Press Conference’ alongside NATO leaders was much publicized by the White House as a ‘redemption’ from CNN studio lows. However it only fueled the fire in Democratic setup after Prez. Biden called VP Kamala Harris as VP Trump, after addressing President Zelensky as President Putin (the cruelest joke a human can come up with today!).

These blunders effectively derailed his campaign trail, because now his competitors were not on the opposite side but on his own. Every big name in Democrats has asked him to step down, some subtly and others not-so-subtly. The growing list includes former Prez. Barack Obama, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer who are said to be working behind the scenes to convince him to step down. Joe Biden is said to have been reportedly feeling betrayed over this flurry of open and under-cover ‘coup d’etat’ attempts from allies.

When team Biden started feeling it couldn’t get any worse, it actually did.

THE BULLET: Blood on the Ear, Shot in the Arm

As Republicans were basking in the afterglow of a supposedly successful debate, they were awestruck by an ‘Act of Almighty’ on July 13. Prez. Trump was targeted by a sniper in his rally in Pennsylvania, got himself saved by fraction of inches, fell on the ground with bleeding ear but stood up to give America the ‘Snapshot of the Century’. With blood oozing all along the face, right fist up in the air and US flag in the background coupled with chants of ‘Fight’, Prez. Trump sent chill down the spine in every alive soul. He was escorted out of the venue swiftly by the Secret Service, but his Arrival 2.0 had just begun.

While the assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks was taken down in the moments following gun shot, it was his blue opponents which bore the brunt of the failed attempt at his life.

There has been an expected nation-wide surge in support for Republican Party, riding on the sympathy wave. This has not only swept away any remaining vestiges of opposition to Trump in GOP but also cemented him the undisputed champion of conservative causes. The recently concluded RNC, where Trump got officially nominated as Republican presidential candidate, saw the likes of Ron deSantis and Nikki Haley burying their hatchet and endorsing Trump. It was theater, it was politics, it was over the top. In short, it was Donald Trump. He was his usual self, dismissing Climate Change by a one-liner, “Drill Baby, Drill”. He has also come up with an even more extreme version of himself in his VP pick JD Vance.

It is being said that “The 45th President of US has been shot and the 47th President of US has just survived assassination”.

From Feared to Faced

The past fortnight has brought contrasting presents for the former and current presidents. While Mr. Trump inches closer victory, Mr. Biden was looking desperately for another such a week with some role reversal, but instead he had to content himself with a new bout of Covid infection. The week was yet to conclude and it would not have been a surprise if democrats sprang in a new surprise, because the in former President Obama’s own words, “biden’s path to victory has greatly diminished”.

Dreaded became undeniable when Biden said in a Sunday written statement that it was the "greatest honor" to serve but his withdrawal was "in the best interest of my party and the country". The announcement sounds funeral to a tumultuous period in US politics, which began with his incoherent and lackluster debate performance against Donald Trump on 27 June. Mr Biden says he will remain president until January.

Democrats are today left with the incumbent’s endorsement of current VP Kamala Harris, who is seen as a frontrunner in nomination race.

While the proceedings in Blue Camp would be interesting to watch, it certainly brings out the folly of indulging in political predictions and writing a politician’s epitaph. The week has seen this all.

After all, in former British PM Harold Wilson’s words, 

“A week is a very long time in Politics.”

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