People constantly ask me, "What makes the 2020 US presidential elections different from the 2016 elections?" The answer is – everything. This election campaign may as well be taken from a science fiction movie.
On the one hand, you have the global coronavirus pandemic – a once-in-a-century occurrence that took the entire world by surprise, introducing a new reality that centers on a cycle of lockdowns and exit strategies. It can be seen everywhere in the United States. You can't really sit in restaurants, some venues, in Florida, for instance, have to close early, and even Philadelphia's famous "Mayfair" diner is virtually empty over the coronavirus.
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In Biden's case, he barely held rallies, and the drive-in rallies he did hold, had horns honking in lieu of applauds.
But the United States is also dealing with a different type of crisis, namely the political schism plaguing America.
In Washington and in Philadelphia I saw people boarding up windows over one of the things America is synonymous with – the elections. Tension and anxiety over the results have turned a day on which democracy is celebrated into a day on which everyone is wary of riots. Who would have thought that the country hailed as the leader of the free world would be on edge come Election Day and that the rift between the two American tribes would be so severe, it would warrant boarding up windows over ballot slips?
Jeffry, a Jewish resident of Philadelphia, said it best when he suggested I stay off the streets on Election Day.
But there is something encouraging in the midst of the health and social crises plaguing America - and it is very reminiscent of 2016: The sweeping love for Trump, and especially the feeling among many parts of America that the coronavirus will soon be a thing of the past – even if it takes longer than many – including Trump – first thought.
I've been to three rallies in his campaign blitz over the last week, one in Arizona and two in Pennsylvania. It feels like America has already moved on, as if it's in another world.
Trump's audience loves him, appreciates him, thanks him, and he reciprocates this love. Biden's audience has been reserved; his rallies number a few hundred supporters – sometimes only a few dozens, while Trump rallies see tens of thousands of supporters show up.
In fact, there seem to be more protesters than supporters who show up at Biden's drive-in rallies. I saw this firsthand on Sunday, when I attended one of these rallies in Philadelphia: the entire street came out to see Biden – with pro-Trump flags and posters.
Wherever Trump goes, he makes sure to mention his support for Israel, and the audience cheers when he mentions the Jewish state and his unconditional support for it. Trump rallies see supporters from all walks of life: women, Jews, Hispanics, and Asians. Sadly, however, there are not many African Americans.
The free world is waiting for America. There is no reason not to continue on this wonderful journey of a president who tweets while delivering the goods – compared to Biden who will hold America back.
Everyone in the media is talking about Biden having the lead, but the momentum and energy on the ground indicate Trump has it – not only in the number of rallies but also, of course, by the number of participants and the general pace of events.
The Trump campaign is optimistic. They estimate that even if they fail to "steal" Wisconsin and Michigan from the Democrats as they did in 2016, they will be able to win as long as they retain the other "red" states that Trump won in the previous election. But there is no denying that traditionally "red" states like Georgia and Texas have been sporting "purple" hues, which only goes to show that 2020 is different in every possible sense – because of the coronavirus; because of Trump; because of the situation.
In Philadelphia, Jeffry also told me, "Trump is good for Israel and that's why I voted for him. But I didn't tell my family – they're sure I voted for Biden, like them."
"What if they, too, are lying?" I asked. "Maybe," he said.
Trump, it seems, is a candidate for whom the support is kept quiet even within one's family. America will know how to overcome that as well, but the 2020 election will forever be remembered as the presidential race where everything was different.
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