An election that will shape the world

The world is waiting with bated breath as Americans decide on who their next president will be – Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Poll results indicate that it's going to be a razor-thin race, with some already anticipating election chaos.

- IRIS GONZALES

When I was in the United States from April to May this year, all the cab drivers I encountered said they were voting for Trump. One said, "Only Trump can stop the ongoing war in the Middle East."

At the time, it was still President Joe Biden who was in the running. It was only in July when Kamala Harris, the 49th and incumbent US vice president, announced her candidacy for this year's elections. President Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed Kamala.

It's been six months since I got back, and so many things have changed. Celebrities and US media organizations have endorsed Kamala, but it still is a close fight. For many observers, it's a puzzle why, after everything, Americans are still voting for Trump.

Here is a possible answer from Alex Hinton, a distinguished professor of anthropology at Rutgers University-Newark:

"Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

"For many Trump voters, the answer to Ronald Reagan's famous question is clear: 'No.' They accurately remember Trump's term as one of tax cuts, economic growth and stock market highs," Hinton said. (theconversation.com).

Bread on the table, money in the bank