The 2016 U.S. presidential race has been the craziest one in American history, rolling out surprise after surprise, from the fact that billionaire Donald Trump secured the Republican Party's nomination, to the fact that contrary to all prediction he has been giving Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton a series run for the votes. The elections are now only four days away, and who knows how many surprises still await us before -- and after -- the two cross the finish line. Trump, which the media repeatedly presented as a buffoon, a joke, and an anecdotal candidate, is approaching Nov. 8 as the man who beat the odds. After announcing he was throwing his hat in the ring in June 2015, pundits never gave him a fighting chance. As of Thursday, however, Trump is very much still standing. A recent ABC/Washington Post tracking poll gave him his first lead over Clinton since May -- 46% to 45%. Most polls have Trump closing in on Clinton, and the only anomaly so far has been a Reuters survey from Wednesday, which gave Clinton a six-point lead. Renowned pollster Nate Silver stated this week that Trump was doing the right thing by fighting for blue states, which usually vote for Democratic nominees, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. His chances there, Silver explained, may have improved following FBI Director James Comey's announcement that the agency was holding a fresh review of the email scandal dogging Clinton since 2015. Silver said that Trump has the same chance of winning the presidency as the Chicago Cubs have of winning their first World Series title since 1908. The Cubs, mind you, did just that on Thursday, so Silver believes Trump may still make it to the White House. The question is, will he find the way. Those who said the email scandal haunting Clinton would deal repeated blows to her campaign were right. Even John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chief, was critical of her lack of transparency, as suggested by his own hacked emails, included in the latest WikiLeaks revelations. But this may be the case of so many emails -- so little time. A question of image American voters have a tough decision to make: Do they vote for a woman suspected of corruption and security offenses, or for a man who allegedly sexually harassed multiple women. This choice is even tougher for undecided and independent voters. Even 30% of Democratic voters said this week that the new FBI investigation presented them with a difficult dilemma. Criminal suspicions aside, the email scandal pushed Clinton's problem to the surface. Voters simply do not like her. She is perceived as privileged and corrupt, a woman who thinks she can get away with anything. Add to that the fact that the Washington Post/ABC poll found 59% of likely voters disapprove of Clinton's handling of questions about the email scandal, and that for the first time, Trump has a lead on Clinton in voters' perceptions of the candidates' "honesty" and "trustworthiness," and you can see why the Trump campaign is optimistic. The big question this week was, could Trump's comeback hold? Will the last days of the presidential elections see the candidates in a neck and neck race, or will another surprising twist reshuffle the deck? Trump understands that with Nov. 8 so close, this is not the time to take unnecessary chances. Perhaps that is why he kept things relatively clean during his recent campaign rally in Pennsylvania, trying to sound as presidential as possible. Pennsylvania is shaping up to be one of the most important state in the 2016 race. Clinton has a distinct advantage in Pennsylvania, but its blue-collar voters cannot hide the disdain they feel for the establishment and those representing it, like Clinton. Those voters are leaning toward Trump, as do many n Ohio, a swing state he may win. Trump behaved himself during the Pennsylvania rally, dutifully reading his speech from the teleprompter as he spoke directly to Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin voters in a bid to improve his standing. Clinton tried to do the same, but it seems the Republican candidate's chances to win in Michigan or Wisconsin are higher that his Democratic rival's chances of winning Arizona, Georgia, or Texas. With just days to go, Trump knows his voter base is assured. He is now trying to win over independent voters, especially in swing states. He is trying to appeal to the moderates without losing his hard-core supporters, who like hearing him lashing out at everyone and everything. The GOP, like any sharp political establishment, has a feeling of where the wind may blow and it prefers not to take chances, despite its vocal criticism of Trump. After all -- he could win. This week, Clinton recruited former Miss Universe Alicia Machado to introduce her at a campaign rally in Florida, a key state. The former Miss Universe has accused Trump of derogatory treatment, telling the crowd, "He thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it." Clinton added fuel to the fire, naming 12 different women who allege Trump had harassed them. Trump adamantly denies all allegations, but he cannot make the damaging tape from 2005 disappear. If anything, the 2016 race has made the most scandalous reality show pale in comparison. Still, anyone who thinks that lewd conversation had cost Trump the female vote, but his rallies suggest otherwise. "I'm a woman and I'm not afraid of Trump," one supporter told me Thursday. "He doesn't hate women. That's a load of crap. That's what the liberal media wants us to think.
There's no way in hell I'm voting for Clinton. She's corrupt. Enough is enough -- she's a failure and I don't want her as president. Clinton earned her bad image, going back to the days of Bill Clinton's days as governor of Arkansas (1979-1981 and 1983-1992). Her ambition is shadowed by greed, and Clinton's running for their foundation raises questions left and right, and the infamous email scandal has dubbed her "extremely negligent." Despite her impressive experience as senator and secretary of state, Clinton has failed to capture her audience, which is problematic for any politician. Clinton has never been popular. She started the race with two problems -- the email scandal and the suspicions regarding the Clinton Foundation -- and she is ending the race in the exact same way. Should Clinton win, it will be because of her rivals. She has a history of going up against unusual opponents -- Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama in 2008, and now Trump. If she wins, she will make history as the first woman elected president of the United States. But she may also make history as one of the country's least popular presidents. Clinton's lagging popularity has had her campaign call in the proverbial big guns -- first lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama -- who would do anything to stop Trump from being the next man in the Oval Office. Trump, for his part, is making a considered effort to sound more responsible and levelheaded than ever, asking "hard-working American patriots who love their families and love their country" to "dream big" and "vote for change." It is moments like these -- speeches like these -- that have painted Trump as the representative of change in America, because Americans are first and foremost proud of being American. A numbers game No one knows who will emerge the winner on Nov. 9, but it all comes down to the electoral votes. Silver believes that if there is low national voter turnout Trump's chances of securing the 270 electoral votes needed to win will rise. Clinton has to get people out to the ballots, but with so many emails on her private server, she can barely find the time. The past week was good for the Trump campaign. He is on a roll while Clinton is feeling the crunch. Prior to the emails scandal resurfacing, Clinton was expected to rake in 288 electoral votes to Trump's projected 158, excluding the swing states. This is no longer the case: On the one hand, you can see Nevada swaying Clinton's way; but on the other hand, formerly blue states like Wisconsin, Colorado, and New Hampshire, are up for grabs. Blue has faded into gray and, excluding swing states, Clinton is expected to win 256 electoral votes, compared to Trump's 158. In other words, Clinton may have the lead, but anything can happen. But what Trump should find most encouraging -- and should be of great concern to Clinton -- is that his campaign is now painted in many colors. I attended his latest campaign rally in Miami and thousands of people came out to see him: whites, Hispanics, African-Americans and countless women. This is in stark contrast to his rally in Palm Beach seven months ago, which was attended mostly by white men.
Trump is apparently a contagious phenomenon. Even if he does not win the elections, he will remain their star, that much everyone agrees on. They also agree that regardless of who wins, the U.S. will emerge from the elections stronger. This is the last elections dominated by baby boomers before they leave the stage in favor of the younger generation. This was also the first time America had to deal with all the underlying rifts and divisions. The question is whether the next president will know how to listen to the public and draw the necessary conclusions, rather than sweep the issues under the rug until the next elections.
