US on edge as divisive election nears

– Donald Trump has 100 days from tomorrow to save his presidency, while America tries to avoid a collective nervous breakdown ahead of one of the most divisive, tension-filled elections in US history.

Coronavirus is ravaging the economy, adding steadily to a death toll already over 140 000, while undermining national trust in government institutions.

Add explosive protests against racism and police brutality, leftist-led riots, flourishing rightwing conspiracy theories, and the spectre of Russian meddling – and the country is more on edge than at any time since the cataclysmic 1960s.

At the centre is surprise 2016 presidential victor Trump, who boasts he never tires of “winning” yet faces possible humiliation on 3 November. His Democratic challenger Joe Biden, whom Trump derides as “weak,” “sleepy” and mentally incompetent, leads by double digits in some polls.

Trump’s pitch boils down to claiming Biden will have Americans “cowering to radical leftwing mobs”. And Biden, no less apocalyptic, says he’s fighting for “the soul of America”.

Polls give Biden an advantage, strong leads in swing states, and even a shot at Republican strongholds like Texas. Trump presides over mass unemployment, racial unrest and a crisis of confidence.

To boot, Trump, with approval ratings stuck in the low 40% range, is the first president to seek reelection after impeachment. Yet no one counts him out.

But he’s having hard a time getting to grips with Biden. The Democrat is running a campaign from his Delaware home, with no rallies and few media interviews. This began with social distancing and is a boost for a candidate seen as a gaffe machine.

Until Covid-19 and the economic downturn, Trump was on a roll. Now his mass rallies have fizzled, while his bravado and name-calling sits less easily in a country shaken by death and economic misery.

Cornered, Trump is doubling down with fearmongering and dark warnings about Biden. Last week, he repeated efforts were under way to “rig the election”. Asked on Fox News if he would accept the results, he said: “I have to see.” – AFP