November 5 marks the day when it will be decided who will lead the United States in the upcoming term. What is the state of play in the U.S. 48 hours before that moment?
Although the U.S. election is officially on November 5, many Americans have already cast their votes. In some states, like Virginia, voting has been underway for over a month. According to data collected by NBC, by Friday, more than 60 million voters had already voted by mail or in person.
“The Future of Our Civilization is at Stake”
The topic of the U.S. election was raised today on the program “Political Coffee” on Republika.
“These elections are very important. The future of our civilization is at stake, because the outcome will determine whether the so-called liberal democracy, which has already forsaken the concepts of freedom and democracy by severely limiting them, will continue to influence the world for a few more years—leading to further wars, economic decline, the breakdown of borders, and an influx of illegal immigrants. Or if this will all end very soon with Donald Trump’s ascent to power. This will be decided in the next few dozen hours, and we will broadcast it for you—thanks to your support,” said editor Tomasz Sakiewicz in his opening remarks.
Rafał Stańczyk, Republika’s correspondent, also reported from Washington.
“We’re in the final stretch of the election campaign. We’ve been following developments in the U.S. with bated breath for the past few days. We’ve been in Arizona, a swing state on the border with Mexico, where the main topics were migration and the role of Latinos in this election and campaign. Yesterday we attended a fascinating rally for Donald Trump in Virginia. Virginia is a blue state, but Trump still came here. There are two explanations for this. First—these aren’t just presidential elections. On November 5, Americans will also elect the entire House of Representatives, currently dominated by Republicans, and a third of the Senate, now held by Democrats. There is a big political prize at stake here as well,” explained the journalist.
“Trump Feels Safe”
He added that another reason for Trump’s visit to Virginia was “to promote Republican candidates in the congressional elections.”
As for the second reason, “Trump feels relatively safe in the polls. A candidate who is worried about winning usually focuses on swing states, the seven battleground states. But Donald Trump is going further. Yesterday he was in Virginia, earlier in New Mexico—blue states—trying to expand his voter base. Looking at the last moves, both parties are throwing everything they have into the campaign as it heats up,” Stańczyk continued.
He added that, in Trump’s case, there are sometimes three campaign events in a single day, showing just how determined he is.
“As for Trump, he’s focused now on the swing states, where the margins are razor-thin. In many cases, the results are neck and neck. Pennsylvania, for example, is a state where anything could happen…” assessed Republika’s correspondent.
“Pennsylvania Could Tip the Scales”
Tomasz Sakiewicz’s guests included Tadeusz Antoniak, coordinator of the “Gazeta Polska” Clubs in the USA, and Maciej Kożuszek, head of the foreign affairs section at “Gazeta Polska” and an analyst on American issues.
Who has the better chance?
According to Tadeusz Antoniak, in line with what Republika’s correspondent reported earlier, “Pennsylvania is the most crucial state this election year.”
“Even at the county level, where we see a shift, the campaign’s mobilization is huge. Every day, there are campaign materials at people’s doors, and canvassers are knocking on doors. This will continue until Tuesday when votes are cast. I want to remind everyone that there is no election silence in America. Campaigning continues right up to the end; people even bring cheat sheets into polling places to guide their choices,” he noted.
Maciej Kożuszek also highlighted the significant role of the Polish-American community in these elections, something Donald Trump himself spoke about in an interview with Republika.
“I would like the Polish community’s voice to be heard. The sheer number of Polish-Americans could play an important role in the U.S.,” Kożuszek commented.