Well, that was quick

I certainly didn't see that one coming.

I thought 81-year-old Joe Biden was doing a pretty good job as president of the United States. In a country that's severely divided by its political biases these days, Biden has succeeded in bringing us some critical bipartisan legislation.

Witness:

• The American Rescue Plan (a stimulus plan to speed up the nation's recovery from the economic and health effects of COVID-19).

• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (investment in drinking water and eliminate lead lines, among other things).

• The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (provides federal grant funding to states for crisis intervention programs).

• The CHIPS and Science Act (funding to create semiconductors in the United States).

• The Pact Act (eliminating benefits delays for veterans).

• The Respect for Marriage Act (requires states to recognize same-sex marriages and protects religious liberty).

• Confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

• The Inflation Reduction Act (a law that aims to reduce the federal budget deficit and lower prescription drug prices).

• Protecting the Affordable Care Act.

• Student Debt Relief.

In addition to those accomplishments, border crossings are down nearly 58 percent over last year (and certainly lower than that under the Trump administration, which made Nazi-like child separation from parents an actual thing). Also, the violent crime rate has dropped 15 percent in the first three months of 2024 while murders fell 26.4 percent and rapes dropped 25.7 percent. The unemployment rate is 4.1 percent (it was 14.90 percent under Trump in April 2020, so were you really better off four years ago?). The inflation rate is 3 percent, down from a high of 9 percent during the peak of the COVID crisis. It's been a remarkable run. So I had mixed emotions when Biden announced last Sunday he wasn't going to seek a second term.

Yay, I said to myself because Biden looked horrible in his debate last month with convicted felon and adjudicated rapist Donald Trump. Clearly, Biden's age had caught up with him.

Oh, no, I said to myself because Biden is a decent human being whose administration has had considerable success (see the list you just read above).

I wasn't particularly impressed when he endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice president, to be the next president. Until I was.

Just like that, Harris has energized the spirits of the Democratic Party. Fundraising has skyrocketed (nearly $100 million in 48 hours). Volunteers are rising to help. And for the first time in several months, Democrats feel like they're firmly on the right track.

Harris, 59, has attracted the youth vote while at the same time making Trump, 78, the oldest person ever to run for president. She's building interest among the Black and Hispanic communities, which are critical demographics. Voter enrollment has increased. She herself has shown remarkable growth since her own brief presidential bid four years ago. It could be because of all that on-the-job training she had as the vice president. At any rate, her transformation into a serious candidate has been remarkable. Even down-ballot Democrats seem buoyant about their chances.

There are exactly 100 days to go until election day. Anything can happen in those three months. Look for the campaign to turn particularly bitter, and look for Trump to become even more childish with his absurd nicknames and tantrums in the face of his opponents (Aww, he's just joking). Past experience shows he never ran a proper government in his previous term – he ran an asylum based on personal loyalty to him and not to the Constitution, which at times he's even threatened to suspend.

This is not to say Harris has the election in the bag. Trump has shown a remarkable resiliency over the years to weasel out of jams, although he's been aided by recent favorable (though questionable) court decisions.

But the Democratic Convention is coming up in a few weeks. Trump is still awaiting sentencing for his 34 felony convictions. Both could give Harris a significant bounce in the polls and at just the right time.

Buckle up. It's going to be some ride.