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| Image courtesy: Pixabay |
The day after tomorrow is the day, or rather the night.
It's not for nothing US Presidential elections are keenly watched the world over.
It's one of the oldest democracies and one of the most powerful nations in the world. Its dollar and military are still a force to reckon with. Its institutions are strong and resilient enough to withstand the frequent destabilizing forces that keep cropping up off and on. Its culture has a profound influence all over the world.
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
That's a phrase we keep hearing on the election night, as winners for each State are announced by media organisations.
(How strange everyone looks to the so-called "biased" media networks to declare - unofficially - who the winner is!)
The popular opinion was that Donald Trump, during his four years of presidency, will script his own defeat. Let's accept this -- there is nothing so far (from the "unreliable" pollsters) to suggest this will definitely happen.
That means we are going to hear that phrase many times over on Nov 3 night and, who knows, well into the next day too.
The outcome might be uncertain, well in keeping with this year's pan-global theme. But the battle lines are crystal clear.
CONTEST THIS TIME IS ON THESE LINES
- Conspiracy theories vs Science
- COVID-19 is a ploy to destroy America; don't panic and buckle vs COVID-19 is a disease; take care of your health as well as of others
- Mask symbolises shackles and tyranny; wearing it won't prevent you from getting COVID-19 vs Wearing a mask is a recommendation of health experts to keep you and everyone else safe
- Our well-being and health can't be at the cost of the economy vs It's possible to keep the economy running even while we take care of our well-being and health
- People who disagree with you are all wrong vs People who disagree with you could be right
- Recklessness vs Prudence
- Don't think too much, act (you can correct later) vs Think through before you act (because by the time you correct, the damage is done.)
- Reach your destination, don't bother about the road vs The road you take to reach the destination is equally important
- Don't waste time waiting for consensus and to take everyone on board vs Getting as many people on board is important. Correctness and inclusiveness of decisions matter as much as the speed with which decisions are taken
- Security and economy is more important than everything else vs Everything else is as important as security and economy
- Only America and Americans matter, don't bother about the rest vs The rest of the world matters too
THE POSSIBILITIES
- Narrow win for Trump (The show will go on)
- Landslide win for Trump (The show will go on; the likelihood of more pomp and fury)
- Landslide for Biden (The Red camp might smell a rat but the celebration in the Blue camp might overwhelm the shock in the Red camp)
- Narrow win for Biden (The Red camp might smell a rat. But the worry is will they let emotions spill on to the streets?)
- Counting disputed in one or many states (Court battles. If not long-drawn-out, the Supreme Court will declare the winner. Remember 2000? There is also the possibility of the contingent election. It has happened thrice: in 1801, 1825, and 1837. SG in his blog describes how it works and the interesting outcome it could throw up.)
MY DOUBT
If Trump loses, narrowly or by a wide margin, will he and his supporters be sporting enough to accept the verdict?