My what a difference a year can make.

At this time last July, we all watched as then former President Donald Trump absolutely destroyed now former President Joe Biden in what can only be described as the worst presidential debate performance in history by Biden.

Not saying the former president doesn’t have some competition, but Biden is the clear winner in this particular category as his cognitive decline could be hidden from the world no more.

Opponents of President Trump, seeing the writing on the wall following the debate, went third world on the then presumptive Republican nominee by trying to assassinate him during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Again, the whole drama played out on live television as a bloodied Trump got back up after being shot, surrounded by Secret Service, and urged his supporters to Fight! Fight! Fight! for his candidacy and the country.

Shortly after, presumptive was removed from President Trump’s title and he was officially named the Republican nominee for president during the GOP convention in, of all places, Chicago.

Days later, President Biden, saying it was for the good of the Democrat Party and the country, dropped out of the race despite being the incumbent and having won party primaries across the board.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Any of these events by themselves, leading with the assassination attempt of course, would be monumental. However, all these events took place within a less than three-week period last July. Every political twist and turn felt like one extraordinary gut punch after another. Causing every single one of us to wonder when and how is this going to end?

For some reason it feels like a lifetime ago and yesterday. All at the same time.

Think how different our lives would be today if any of these scenarios had played out differently.

What if, and I have no idea what they would have had to put in him for him to pull it off, President Biden had performed like a champ at the debate?

What if the attempt to assassinate President Trump had been successful, and we watched his head explode on live television instead of his ear, by the grace of God, getting nicked instead?

Who in the world would the Republicans have gotten to be the presidential nominee, with the convention just days later, if Trump had met his demise?

Why in the world would Biden have ever dropped out if any or all of the above had happened?

Like I said, think how different our lives would be today. Maybe forever. I thank the Good Lord above every day for His grace and mercy.

Patrick Graham is the proprietor and publisher of The Covington News. His email address is patrick.graham@waltontribune.com.