Welcome to Talking Feds, a round table that brings together prominent former federal officials and special guests for a dynamic discussion of the most important political and legal topics of the day.

I'm Harry Littman.

Another week has passed where we find ourselves swept along by the currents of history.

Not by the predictable rhythms of quadrennial events, but by sudden unanticipated heavals, sharp pivot points in a path that one way

or another ends in a different America.

Substantially contemporaneous with President Joe Biden's announcement that he would not seek another term,

Vice President Kamla Harris burst into action.

Within 48 hours, Harris had effectively sewn up the nomination, dispelling the perplexing

questions about various scenarios, the possibility of an open convention, and the prospect of fierce intra-party rivalries.

Just like that, the electoral landscape was restabilized.

Harris, whose 20-20 candidacy had fizzled out before Iowa due to a lackluster and poorly executed campaign,

followed up her swift clinching of the nomination with a series of dynamic rallies that

directly took it to Donald Trump and electrified many Democrats. Her messaging

was sharp and unambiguous, her tone pitch perfect.

Above all, she exuded an upbeat confidence that starkly contrasted with the Republican tickets dark narrative of American decline.

Far more challenging days are ahead for Harris, and the campaign remains at best a toss-up.

Yet her dynamic start has overshadowed the previous fortnight of Trump and Republican

games.

For now, it also has left Republicans bewildered, with their initial attacks on the Vice President

failing to gain significant traction.

To analyze the remarkable turnaround in the presidential election and consider whether it's a lasting change or a temporary sugar high,

we welcome three of the most respected and astute political commentators in the country. And they are.

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