Things are happening so rapidly in the world of Presidential politics that it seems a couple of years passed last week. I will touch on three recent events:

First, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg left the Supreme Court’s delicate liberal-conservative balance in flux. This unexpected opening on the Supreme Court is like having a joker in a game of cards to suddenly pop up giving the holder more flexibility.

The President and top Republicans in the Senate wasted no time moving to appoint Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ginsburg’s seat on the Court. Barrett, as you may have guessed, is too conservative for some people’s taste. Look for her to support overturning the Court’s 1972 decision in Roe v. Wade and the 2019 decision on the Affordable Care Act.

So, why are Republicans forcing Barrett onto the Supreme Court within a few weeks of the General Election, which could elect a new President?

Well, I hate to tell you, but it comes down to pure — raw — power. The Republicans have the power, and they are exercising it.

Secondly, the first of three scheduled debates happened last week. It was a debate in name only. President Donald Trump would not allow former Vice President Joe Biden to answer questions posed to him by Fox News moderator, Chris Wallace. Trump looked anything but presidential. Biden took the high road and spoke into the camera to the American people. The winner of the “shouting match” was Biden. He continues to hold his national lead in the polls over Trump.

Third, President Trump tested positive for the Coronavirus. This positive test led to his hospitalized last week. True to form, you can’t believe a word coming out of the White House about Trump’s health condition. It could be better than the public is led to think, or it could be much worst. Trump has cried wolf so often until we don’t know if the sky is falling and the nation is in peril or not.

Two things are apparent:

1. The gathering in the Rose Garden at the White House to name Amy Coney Barrett to the Court is most likely the event that caused this outbreak of positive coronavirus tests in the Trump Administration, and,

2. President Trump is receiving the best medical care that the public treasury can afford.

Moreover, Trump is receiving better medical care than the average American who has a seasonal cold can afford, sparing no expense. This level of medical care is as it should be. All Americans deserve the best in medical care. The appointment of Barrett to the Supreme Court will wipe out what little medical coverage millions of Americans received under the Barack Obama Administration.

Could any of these or a combination of them be the much anticipated October surprise that could sink Trump and propel Biden, or that could propel Trump and sink Biden?

In the topsy turvy world that 2020 has been, there may be several other surprises to come before the last vote is counted.

With 30 days from election day, we will watch and report.

Harold Michael Harvey is the Living Now 2020 Bronze Medal winner in the category of male memoir for his memoir Freaknik Lawyer: A Memoir on the Craft of Resistance. He is a Past President of the Gate City Bar Association. He is the recipient of Gate City’s R. E. Thomas Civil Rights Award, which he received for his pro bono representation of Black college students arrested during Freaknik celebrations in the mid to late 1990s. An avid public speaker, contact him at [email protected].