Harris or Trump? The Final Sprint in Race for White House

Two opposing visions to choose from

Austria’s Die Presse sees two completely different world views:

“Trump's doomsday scenario clearly resonates more with voters than the vision of hope and a better, fairer future. Even the high-flying rhetoric is no match for the harsh reality in supermarkets and shopping malls - and Kamala Harris is no Barack Obama. The fact that the US male world does not trust a woman with a multicultural background to hold the highest office in the land – despite her being endorsed by Arnold Schwarzenegger – smacks of resentment. The election is not over yet, but the momentum is swinging towards a comeback for Trump and his grim world view.”

Unreliable polls

The candidates still have a few days of hard work ahead of them, notes Tvnet:

“Voter surveys are causing the predictions about votes in swing states to change every day, so a two-vote lead projected for Harris today has little meaning. Moreover, the last two US presidential elections have shown that the polls tend to be disproportionately unfavorable for Trump – his supporters seem reluctant to admit their preference in polls. If the trend holds for this election too, Harris will have to work hard in the coming days to gain a more convincing lead.”

Against instead of for

Elections are losing their meaning, complains Italy’s La Stampa:

“Everyone goes to the polling station with the intention, or at least the desire, to improve their lives, in the hope that a cross on a symbol will lead to more prosperity, more rights and sometimes also more freedom. At least in theory. Because in the West we live in, but not only there, another motivation is gaining ground: voting to prevent the victory of a candidate you don't like. This is an increasingly common theme in the election campaigns of a political class that seems to have lost its way and which, instead of charting out a new course, prefers to delegitimize the opposing captain.”

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Whoever wins, the problems will remain

According to Sašo Ornik commenting in his blog Jinov svet, how voters in the US vote won't change anything fundamentally - and certainly not for the better:

“They can only decide whether their primary adversary will be Russia or China. ... The militarized police and overcrowded prisons will still remain. The poor will still be poor and health insurance for all will remain an impossible endeavor. Many people from other countries will continue to come to the US because the economy needs them, and the only difference will be whether they enter through legal programs or are smuggled across the border illegally. The military system will still be the top priority and there will be a shortage of funds for infrastructure... No, on Tuesday, Americans will not choose between fascism and communism.”

This could be a bitter and bloody lesson

Új Szó fears a violent reaction should Trump loose:

“The conservative Maga [Make America Great Again] movement would not be able to accept this with its current communication dynamics. ... Has it become necessary, from time to time, for democratic societies to be made to experience first-hand that today's agitation can lead to real bloodshed tomorrow? That this danger is even more grave in the era of the power of words, and especially in the era of social media and echo chambers? And that there are many authoritarian competitors who seek out the wounds caused by social debates to rub salt into them?”

A threat to global financial stability

France’s Le Temps is concerned about something both parties have in common:

“Donald Trump initiated [international] hostilities by imposing tariff barriers to protect US manufacturing, but Biden has not changed course. Both presidents strengthened the 'Buy American Act' ... Biden has also advocated re-establishing the independence of the US in sectors such as the semiconductor industry. Trump has already promised new tariff barriers if he is re-elected. Kamala Harris also wants to protect American jobs at all costs and ensure dominance over China in the 21st century. Both parties plan to implement their programs by increasing national debt, which poses a threat to global financial stability.”