Lotus to Potus: A toxic Tuesday in offing as a divided United States goes to polls

TOI Correspondent from Washington: The man who wants to return to the White House for a second term says he should not have left it in the first place. The woman who aspires to become the first to sit behind the Resolute Desk says she will protect the democracy he threatens and unite the country he has divided. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are on a tear -- "all gas, no brakes" as campaign volunteers put it -- in the final 24 hours before Election Day on Tuesday when it will be determined if the United States will remain what it has been through tests, trials, and tribulations. Not just Americans, the world is holding its breath.

Most polls show the race in a 48-48 deadheat across the nation, and tied within the margin of error in seven battleground states. But Trump surrogates insist it will be a blow out for the MAGA supremo because of a surge in Republican voter registration far outpacing Democrats' and the "hidden Trump voter" including Democrats who prefer the norm of a strong male leader. Harris' managers take heart in a shock Iowa poll that shows strong female preference for Harris beyond what was anticipated.

Democrats are also chuffed, when they are not aghast, by an intensely negative and toxic campaign by Trump, full of violent, dark and dystopian images, that appears to have put off even moderate Republicans. His latest salvo included familiar claims that Democrats are trying to steal the elections and the dispensability of journalists, who he doesn't mind getting shot.

"To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don’t mind that so much...I don’t mind. I don’t mind," Trump said to laughter from his MAGA fans at a rally in Pennsylvania, ratcheting up his incendiary rhetoric amid growing signs of desperation. Beyond the rallies, his supporters in militant group like Proud Boys are urging their cadre to stand by to question and oppose election results if Trump does not win. There are lawsuits -- and violence -- in the air.

While Trump had transparently prepared ground for claiming voter fraud if he loses, he is expected to assert victory on Tuesday night on the basis of leads even though final results could take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to be confirmed. Democrats typically catch up and sometimes overtake early Republican leads -- which come from mostly rural counties -- when the more numerous votes from their urban strongholds are counted. The urban areas of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Atlanta (Georgia), and Detroit (Michigan) are crucial in this regard, and those are the places Trump has identified as being most conducive to voter fraud. All three cities have substantial black and minority populations.

But in a rare moment of candor and humility, Trump acknowledged in an interview to ABC's Jonathan Karl that he could lose -- something he has never admitted before. Asked by Karl if he thought there was any way he could lose, Trump said, "Yeah, I guess, you know... I guess you could lose, can lose," adding, "But I think I have a pretty substantial lead, but, you could say, yeah, yeah, you could lose. Bad things could happen."

Almost forgotten in the Presidential election frenzy is the crucial Congressional election where the entire 538-member House of Representatives and a third (34) of the 100-member Senate is up for grabs. Republicans currently hold a slim 221-214 majority in the House; Democrats have an even thinner 51-49 majority in the Senate. Some polls suggest the majorities could flip, leaving a hamstrung presidency in place. A trifecta blowout could herald a seamless executive and legislature, enabling easier law-making.

Almost 80million voters -- nearly half the 2020 turnout -- have already cast their ballots in early voting, and as many if not more are expected to turnout on Tuesday in what has repeatedly been described as the most consequential elections in US history since the Civil War era. The moment has arrived, and whether the US has met the moment adequately will be known in the next couple days.

Also See:

US Presidential Election | Trump Vs Kamala Harris | Donald Trump | Kamala Harris