Democrats Power Trump to Tower Over Harris in US Prez Poll

Voting Begins in US After Bitter Poll Campaign

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, November 5: The US Vice President, Kamala Harris, knocked at doors in the swing state Pennsylvania hours before the voting began. The people queued up in rains in St. Louis County to cast their votes after curtains came on an arguably most polarising electioneering.

Former US President and Republican Donald Trump held the centre stage all through the poll campaign. Democrats launched all talking guns to demonize him.

“While you go to vote, do remember the values of this country,” Barack Obama, the former US president, told a public meeting ahead of the voting. Bernie Sanders warned that the US would forget the climate change if Trump became President again.

Also Read: Indians Gain Spotlight in Cliffhanger US Elections 

Key pivot of the Harris poll campaign was protecting democracy. Indeed, women’s right for abortion gave Harris comforts among the women electorate.

Some Democrats even lashed on to Trump for his age. Michael McFaul, former American diplomat in Moscow, wondered if Trump at 84 could keep stamina for another four years. Incidentally, Trump and the incumbent President of the US, Joe Boden (81), rank among the oldest to hold the top office in Washington.

The inauguration of the poll campaign was set up by Biden telling Trump – “You had sex with a porn star”. The poll campaign ended on the note with the whole battery of the campaigners of Democrats claiming that Trump will take democracy to its grave.

Sanders said that food relief will not reach Gaza if Trump is elected. By all accounts, the Democrats’ campaign rivetted with negative campaigning against Trump without offering a positive template.

Also Read: Trump Rides Garbage Truck Amid Tight US Poll Race 

Trump in his presidency had led the US to walk out of the Paris Accord on climate change. Biden gave a moral halo to the US participation in climate change conferences.

The last joke on climate change summits came in the UAE hosting the COP28. Climate change havoc is sweeping across continents with developed countries, including the US, yet to roll out $100 billion annual finance for mitigation efforts.

Harris shrugged off all attacks on state of affairs of the US economy. On matters of inflation and unemployment, Harris sought to argue that “she is not Joe Biden”. Yet, Harris came short on telling how she would do a better job on the economy.

Tech-CEOs are rooting for Trump in hopes of his business-friendly approach. China is also hoping for Trump to beat Harris with hope that the US will not stir the waters in the Taiwanese straits.

Also Read: Bullying US Sends India Talking to China on Russia Watch 

In India, there is no cheer for Harris except for a Tamil Nadu village after the Biden administration showed zeal for rule of law in the failed assassination bid on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Indian election experiences show minimal returns on excessive negative campaigns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made fortunes out of his exorbitant targeting by the Congress. Modi also found that his resorting to demonizing the Congress with claims that “even mangalshutras will be snatched away” were received with yawns in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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