The juggernaut that is the race to elect the 47th US president that began rolling in earnest with the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in CNN’s Atlanta studios in Georgia on June 27 is still thundering down the mighty landscape of the United States, leaving in its wake a trail of political debris. It was at that point in time, when there were 131 days to go for the election date, that things really began to unravel.

The sheer pace that has been picked up by events that are unfolding during the four months ahead of the US presidential poll beats any action thriller that comes out from Hollywood. For the aficionados of the written book, it could well be a toss-up between Alistair Mclean and Robert Ludlum, with the real life events having a clear edge.

These events have already smashed to smithereens Biden’s candidacy into Thy Kingdom Come amidst a sudden awakening about his diminishing mental alacrity to serve a second term. There have been not one, but two assassination attempts on Trump. And for the second time in less than a decade, Trump’s tenure in the White House, will depend whether he can stop a woman from becoming the US president for the first time. If he succeeds, he will also emulate Grover Cleveland who was 22nd and 24th US President for serving two non-consecutive terms as the 45th and 47th US President.

Let us take these events one by one.

On July 13, during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania came the first attempt on Trump’s life with a bullet grazing his earlobe. His shooter 20-year-old Thomas Mathew Crooks was taken out by Secret Service snipers. One of his supporters lost his life even as two others shot survived. Just as the presidential campaign was deemed to have seen its share of dramatic moments, came the July 21 announcement that he was pulling out. He also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be nominated as the party’s candidate for President.

The Dems had no option but to hand the baton over to Kamala Harris, who they then proclaimed was always their Plan B. On July 27, she officially declared her candidacy after former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama had officially endorsed her candidacy the previous day. The Obamas have continued to aid her campaign, delivering some riveting speeches, raising funds and seeking support for Kamala. So did former President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary Clinton who Trump defeated in his first bid to presidency.

There was no dearth of such endorsements as Taylor Swift soon joined the list of celebrities lined up to support Kamala. Others included Mel Brooks, George Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stevie Wonder, Ben Stiller, Jason Bateman and of course Oprah Winfrey.

The US citizens hardly had breathing time as on September 10 came the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia. Notwithstanding the split public opinion based on the political divide, by and large, it is accepted that Kamala fared marginally better than her opponent.

It was by no means a dignified debate as presidential ones go, with both candidates going hammer and tongs, perhaps caricaturing each other rather than arguing on the basis on policy perspectives. Both called each other out for policy bungling, one as president and the other as vice-president. One was boastful, the other somewhat patronizing. One wanted to make America great again, the other, all Americans greater than ever before. Neither had real answers on mistakes past, things not done when they had the opportunity.

Kamala painted a horrifying picture of what would happen if Trump took office again while the former president enumerated what all could go wrong if he were not elected again. Both were free with allegations, with Trump outperforming his rival on baseless one, as proved by fact checks later. Kamala spelt out the doctrine of reconciliation, how she would be a President for all, appealing to the liberal Republicans. Trump wasted no time on such niceties, took pot shots at the Dems and appealed to his core electorate to put him back in office if they cared about the country.

Then came the second attempt on Trump’s life last Sunday, September 15, right in his homestead, as he was playing golf with his buddies at the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach. The alleged assailant Ryan Wesley Routh, a man in his 50s, had abandoned the yet-to-be-fired AK 47 rifle, scope and all, well within striking range of where Trump was playing. Routh was later apprehended while driving away. There is still no clarity whether he is going to be prosecuted for the alleged assassination attempt.

On September 18, the US Federal Reserve cut the interest rate by 50 basis points, the first such intervention since it ushered in a series of rate hikes since March 17, 2022 when federal funds were available at 0.25 per cent. Over the next one year and four months, the US Fed, which is the central bank of the country, jacked up rates 10 times, taking the rate at which it made money available to banks in the country from 0.50 per cent to 5.50 per cent. The last such rate hike came on July 26, 2023. The current average lending rate by banks to its customers vary between 6.50 to 8.50 per cent, depending on the loan category.

Since then, for almost 14 months, despite repeated appeals by financial pundits warning of stagflation, a combination of economic stagnation that was gripping the US coupled with the unbridled inflation reflected in the ever-rising cost of living in the country, the US Fed has refused to budge. Now, coming as it does, so close to the November 5 election, this sudden strategic U-turn by the central bank will be seen as a decision under political pressure.

So, is the US economy in good shape? What are the plans do both presidential candidates have to turn it around? These are some of the questions the discerning public in the US would like to hear the two candidates answer. Those answers clearly cannot be limited to “we have plans” and “we will pump money into small businesses and encourage new home buyers” kind of platitudes. Surely, it does not require political genius to say that a moderate tax regime is better than high taxes.

Above all, having a plan for the US economy cannot be merely about posturing on the extreme ends of “Are you for or against fracking?” or “Do you want electric cars to replace all those running on fossil fuel?” or for that matter “Can the US do well with less number of immigrants?”

Now, with about seven weeks to go, there is a debate whether there should be another debate. Kamala has said yes to what would be her second debate. Trump feels there is no need for what for him would be a third debate. The tentative plan is for CNN to host it on October 23 or 26 though there is still a cloud over it happening. Meanwhile, the two Vice President candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance will square off on October 1 in New York for a debate to be hosted by CBS News.

Not quite sure if the US electorate will be too consumed by the thought of who their next Vice President would be. One thing is for sure though. There will be no dearth of events unfolding in the weeks ahead.