Trump rolled Biden.

If impudence, mendacity and depravity were Olympic sports, Trump would stand alone on his rostrum. Jane and I watched agog, aghast, ashamed. However vile I thought Trump, long my worst person on earth, he’s worse.

I’m surer than ever civilization cannot withstand the return of this excrescence to the world’s top job. Our American system of truth and justice is already busting its buttons. Justice is blinded, not blind; decency is baffled; caterwauling makes pandemonium of our corridors of power. The obscenely rich slaver for more and more; addled idiots hitch rides on crocodiles. I rue living to witness this, but what are my options?

Enough, though, of alliteration, anadiplosis, anaphora, etc. Words have the force of spitballs against this Godzilla. I never dreamed humans, Americans in particular, could be such dupes. If Trump’s an acceptable leader, we don’t deserve self-government; democracy’s a pipe dream, suitable only for a species superior to ours.

But enough, say I to myself, weep a moment, then zip it. The enemy’s swarming the ramparts, surrender is suicide, so now what?

Biden, bless him, isn’t up to this fight. He thought he was, he figured he’d earned his shot, he strove mightily, but in this image-addicted nation he flubbed big-time, putting civilization itself at risk. Performing is essential to leadership, always has been, and Biden’s performance was cringe-worthy. Even I don’t much want him in the job, who reveres his goodness, competence, decency, and accomplishments.

To retire is not to fail, it’s to face facts. Living is losing, strength by strength, till our final loss. “To every thing there is a season,” said the preacher. “A time to get and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away; a time to rend and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love and time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

If President Biden concluded he wasn’t up to this fight, he should cede his place to one with a better chance. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, otherwise a giant, betrayed her trust by staying too long: generations will be paying for her obstinacy. If President Biden realizes that to save democracy, he must say goodbye, the logistics can be managed. If he decides to go down with the ship, it will be the ship of state.

Who if not Biden? To my thinking the best candidate is young, centrist, charismatic, experienced, and (alas) male and white. Before we mend our nation, we must save it. This recommendation is heartsick, unjust, unkind, but when human freedom is at risk, decency must defer to practicality. Our best leader now is the one with the best chance to win.

If Biden still believes he’s best for this assignment, we must do all we can to buttress him – and pray. After that tsunami of a debate, I’m not optimistic – but what choice do we have? Do we go with Satan or the other guy?

Might I be exaggerating our peril? I hope so. But for eight years, tirelessly – and tiresomely – I’ve been making the case – while my dire forebodings were realized. I’m convinced our democracy can’t survive a second Trump presidency – and if America falls, so will all democracies, defenseless against eager tyrants.

“These are the times that try men’s souls,” wrote Thomas Paine, in an earlier dire hour. “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”