Prior to this week’s debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, conventional wisdom said that it would be a very close fight to succeed Joe Biden and become the 47^th President of the United States.

That may have changed after the debate.

The pendulum which was swinging in favor of Democrat Harris has swung even further in her direction. In a word, she did well.

They shook hands before the debate, but did not at its end. It was a sign that one knew he blew it, while the other basked in her fine performance.

While Trump’s followers will say that he did well in the only one-on-one debate scheduled before the elections, it will be a case of them seeing what they want to see.

In truth, he faced a more-than-competent former prosecutor who appeared to know what buttons to push to rattle the former president. This was visible in his gestures and facial expressions, not only at the onset, but all throughout the event.

This is not to say that POTUS 45 lost all his chances at returning to the Oval Office. But suffice it to say that those chances went down a notch, or more.

Kamala Harris did to Trump what Trump did to Joe Biden in their one debate, which was to make the incumbent president look old.

Many of his arguments are known to all. He says the same things over and over in the few rallies that he has held. And his messages have not resonated with the voters who will make the difference  — the youth. And the women, and the Blacks, and the Latinos, and the Asians.

If Harris had any shortcomings, it was her refusal to go for the jugular. She could have traded insult for insult, but did not. Instead, she followed the now popular stand of former First Lady Michelle Obama. When they go low, we go high.

Candidate Trump made it clear that should he return to the White House, it will be more of the same. He will again have an unhinged presidency, and will refer to dictators like Putin, Xi, and Kim as his friends. He may even appoint Hannibal Lecter to his Cabinet.

Candidate Harris, on the other hand, revealed what her presidency will be like. There will be an air of hope much like the Obama presidency. The people can look forward to a brighter future, but only if the country is united.

In recent weeks and months, there has been serious talk among Republicans on what they should do in the post-Trump era.

Countless Americans who lean towards the principles of the GOP deserve their old party back. It is, after all, the party of Lincoln, as they like to say.

This November can be their fresh start. It can be the beginning of the removal of all the vestiges of Trumpism.

This week’s debate showed that Trump is still committed to his politics of hate and because of this, he has lost his place at the table.