Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven't yet, sign up here. Going by Wikipedia, the 2024 US presidential campaign effectively began four years ago on Nov. 7, the day that Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 race against Donald Trump. That about sums up the US electoral cycle: It's relentless, and all-pervading. Given the stakes for the world, the rest of us are compelled to look on. Like a never-ending Netflix series, the characters may change but the episodes keep coming, with all the plot twists its writers can summon. There's certainly been no shortage of drama: a woeful debate performance for Biden that was hard to watch; an assassination attempt on Trump carried live on TV; a sudden switch of Democratic candidate to Kamala Harris; some billionaire endorsements, and more than a dash of legal suspense. After all that, the nation still appears undecided. The candidates are statistically tied in each of the seven swing states that will decide the race, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll. Considering what's come already, it's hard to imagine that Harris' denouncement of Trump as a "fascist" will move the needle. After all, Trump's own former chief of staff reached the same conclusion. Equally, will any undecided voters be swayed by the former president's comments questioning Harris' mental acuity? The world is used to the daily soap opera that is the US, of course: We watch Hollywood movies, lap up American celebrity culture, and appreciate its sports. But this election psychodrama has many viewing with a mix of fascination and horror. For this is more like reality TV, with real-world consequences for the global economy, Russia's war in Ukraine, China ties and a Middle East in an uproar. The best that can be said is there are only 12 more days of this show to run. Then it starts all over again. — Alan Crawford WATCH: Harris lambasts Trump for his reported suggestion that Adolf Hitler did some good things. |
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