The 2015 race is a species of its own

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed like a happy camper behind the bulletproof glass at Rabin Square on Sunday; Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, meanwhile, campaigned like a vagabond. The final stretch of the race, it seems, has been dominated by Likud's electioneering. Zionist Union is looking idly by as the governing party sounds the last note of the election.

If there were any professionals running Herzog's campaign, he would have made a joint press appearance with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Meretz leader Zehava Galon and maybe even Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon. An event that had the proper decorum -- say, in some exotic venue -- would have forced the media to use a split screen, essentially dimming the rally's effect. But this never happened. The Left just looked on as the Likud and its satellite parties announced an armistice. The friendly fire on the Right is now gone, but over on the other side of spectrum, it is a free-for-all: Zionist Union vs. Meretz; Kahlon vs. Lapid.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that one must make his case over and over again. The spate of interviews he has held last week was unprecedented. The arguments he made dovetailed with what he would tell the crowd at Rabin Square a few days later. The opposition, however, failed to create any dramatic headlines that would draw the press' attention. The way things unfold in this final countdown will likely captivate public relations professionals, media gurus and various members of the academia. They will be fascinated by how the candidates conducted themselves in the remaining days of this election, even well after a new government is formed. Perhaps even after it serves out its term.

This year's election is a species of its own for several reasons: First, the new electoral threshold -- i.e. the percentage of the valid votes a party has to garner to enter the Knesset -- is higher; second, the Arab turnout could change dramatically; and third, the infighting on both sides of the spectrum has eclipsed the traditional Left-Right debate. As a result, the preliminary exit polls at 10 p.m. will not show a clear winner (unless there is a bolt from the blue -- of massive proportions -- that has not been picked up by the polls).

Was Netanyahu's joint appearance with Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett on Sunday a game-changer? It is too early to tell because the only polls available are the ones from Friday. If Likud and/or Habayit Hayehudi and/or Yisrael Beytenu end up with significantly more seats than currently projected, this will be attributed to a post-rally bounce. Otherwise, the rally will go down as a disappointment.

There is virtually no more sand left in the election hourglass. The campaigns have zero time left to sway undecided voters. At most, they can pull a few gimmicks. But the shifts within each ideological bloc will be as interesting as the movement between the two sides of the spectrum, although less important. The only thing left to do is to look forward in anticipation.

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