2 weeks ago
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Former President Donald J. Trump, the Republican Party candidate for the 2024 election will today, come face to face against his Democratic opponent and Vice President of the United States, (U.S.), Kamala Harris in an election headed for the finish line.
The election, unlike many others is too close to call as polls continue to predict a thin razor margin difference between Kamala and Trump.
• Former President Donald J. Trump
• Vice President Kamala Harris
Mr Trump is seeking a second term and a return to the Oval Office, having lost the 2020 election to Joseph Robinette Biden, the current President of the U.S.
Regardless of the outcome, Kamala would make history as the first woman Vice President and person of colour to contest for the most powerful office on earth.
The Democrats are cautiously optimistic of victory but not obvious of Trump’s capability of pulling another surprise.
If for nothing at all, Trump’s victory against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election should serve as a useful guide for the Democrats as they go into battle with one of the controversial candidates to run for president in America.
The issues that concern voters remain the same almost every election year, except that some key red states, especially Iowa and Texas may vote blue this time because of abortion rights and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe vs Wade.
Polls show that most voters trust Trump to fix the so-called broken U.S. economy and his hardline stance on immigration, while others believe Kamala is the safe pair of hands to consolidate America’s democracy and protect the rights of citizens (women’s right to make life time choices including abortion).
These are the issues on the front burner that affect American voters, and would determine who becomes the 47th President of the U.S.A after November 5.
But the U.S. election goes beyond just contest of ideas and policies. For the most part, it is a battle between deeply entrenched positions about left and right and beliefs of those who fall in the middle- liberals and moderates belonging to both sides of the political divide.
Mr Trump is going into the contest as the first former President to be impeached twice- first on December 18, 2019 and the second time on January 13, 2021 by the House seven days prior to the expiration of his term and the inauguration of Joe Biden.
In May jurors in a New York criminal trial convicted the former President of 34 felony counts of falsified business records.
Vice President Kamala on the hand comes through as an astute lawyer, a former Senator of California and prosecutor.
Her only disadvantage is southern border and Biden’s approval rating of 36 per cent. But whoever wins five states including Pennsylvania and Michigan becomes the next President of the U.S.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
