America’s Election Anxiety: Will the White House survive the drama?

America is stressed as it waits to find out who it’s sending to the White House. But it’s decidedly stressed out by the possible consequences of keeping one of the two candidates out of that Pennsylvania Avenue building. According to a Reuters-Ipsos poll, some 74% of registered voters who responded to an Oct 16-21 survey said they were concerned extremists would commit acts of violence if they were unhappy with election results. 90% of Democrats in this segment are worried, compared with 64% of Republicans – and 77% of independents. Democracy with new ‘American characteristics’ is showing extreme strain as the stage is set for lawsuits and contested results, particularly in the 7-8 battleground states.

Donald Trump has stated the only way Democrats can win is by ‘cheating’. Kamala Harris, on her part, has said she’ll ‘confront’ him if he prematurely declares victory. Fears of a ‘stolen election’ is no longer just Democrat, but democratic, paranoia. Even Trump supporters are scared there’d be rioting if Harris loses. Active measures, such as that of the (Republican) Virginia governor – green-lighted by a divided Supreme Court – to remove 1,600 persons suspected to be ‘non-citizens’ off the electoral rolls, have added to the atmosphere of a nation on boil.

Globally, the US, self-styled evangelist for democracy as mirrored in superhero movies, finds itself in a sticky position. It may no longer be about American democracy changing its goalposts, but shattering them. No matter who makes it to the Oval Office, the ‘leader of the free world’ taking on – or sermonising – nations that have gone off the path of liberal democracy or were never on it, is now liable to be taken less seriously. Because, like clarity, democracy begins at home.