No easy choice

The United States heads to the polls today in a tight race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump. The stakes are high, and the outcome will be shaped by the seven critical swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – that hold the keys to the White House. Polling suggests that Harris has a slight edge, but with such a narrow margin, predictions remain speculative at best. As we observe from afar in Pakistan, our perspective is inevitably shaped by the US media and our own understanding of the global implications of this election. And this year, those implications feel particularly fraught, especially for the Muslim world. The ongoing war in Gaza has cast a long shadow over the election, complicating matters for Muslim voters in the US who face a difficult decision. Both candidates have left much to be desired in their positions on this issue, making it a matter of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’. Kamala Harris, during a recent rally in Michigan, attempted to appeal to Muslim and Arab voters by pledging to ‘do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza’ if elected. This statement appears to be a last-minute attempt to address the Democrats’ criminal mishandling of the Gaza situation. Yet, her words may be seen as too little, too late for those disillusioned by the Democrats.

The third-party Green candidate, Jill Stein, has emerged as a possible option for disillusioned Arab and Muslim voters. But the US’s entrenched two-party system leaves little room for such candidates to gain substantial ground. Despite her stance on Gaza and progressive values, Stein remains largely sidelined, unable to offer a meaningful alternative in a system that overwhelmingly favours either Democrat or Republican candidates. Traditionally, many Pakistani Americans have leaned towards the Republicans, and some are expected to support Trump again, believing his anti-immigration stance targets undocumented rather than legal immigrants. However, there is a widespread sentiment that this election is not about choosing between ‘right and wrong’ as neither candidate truly inspires. Trump’s past presidency, marred by divisiveness and controversy, might have ideally disqualified him from a close contest. Yet, Harris’s campaign has struggled, with Democratic missteps on key issues like Gaza casting doubt on her ability to provide a compelling alternative.

However, many observers caution that despite Gaza’s salience, American voters are likely to prioritise domestic issues – economy, jobs, healthcare – when casting their votes. Local politics traditionally overshadow foreign affairs in US elections, and this race is likely no different, regardless of the wider geopolitical consequences. For much of the world, there is a distinct sense of fatigue surrounding this election cycle. The world’s engagement with US elections has waned, perhaps due to a growing weariness with America’s self-assigned role as the ‘global policeman’. Nevertheless, the US remains a formidable force on the world stage, and its foreign policy decisions ripple across continents. Here in Pakistan, we can only hope that the next administration will be one that moves toward a more just and balanced approach to global issues, and that the voices of the marginalised will not be drowned out by the demands of power.