With Shingi Mararikenews reporter

Today, America heads to the polls for what could be one of the tightest elections in modern history.

This campaign is the story of two candidates who offer radically different visions of America, in a race that may be decided by very narrow margins.

Kamala Harris is a former prosecutor known for her fierce cross-examination skills; Donald Trump, meanwhile, has spent time on the other side of the courtroom this year as a defendant facing a series of legal challenges.

While Harris tried to raise the spirits by appearing on stage at campaign events to the soundtrack of Beyonce’s film Freedom, Trump tried to take on the role of the outsider, defined by holding his bloody ear and telling his supporters: “fight, fight, fight.”

These differences also affected the platforms the couple chose to use.

Harris’ recent campaign highlights included an appearance on America’s most popular late-night sketch show Saturday Night Live and a three-hour interview with Trump’s popular podcaster Joe Rogan.

After spending some time with voters in the swing state of Arizona, I got a glimpse of how these competing visions play out with the American public.

Dane Jensen, a young Republican voter I spoke with, directly called Trump’s ongoing campaign after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, an admirable show of force, while telling me that the former president and his supporter like Elon Musk – the world’s richest man – are the ideals he strives for. represents.

For others, like Renee Rojas, Trump’s heavy-handed approach to politics was a disappointment. He cited how Trump talked about women as part of his decision to turn his back on Republicans for the first time in his life.

The rift between Trump and Harris is more than just a superficial gulf; it involves issues that could result in the win or loss of this election.

There is perhaps no better example of this than the weekend’s shock poll that suggested Harris could win in the red-dominated state of Iowa.

The hypothetical outcome potentially stems from strong support from women who trust Harris more on abortion than Trump, who added three conservative justices to the Supreme Court and paved the way for the overturn of Roe v Wade.

Harris has made reproductive rights a focal point of her campaign. On the other hand, the perception of Trump as a savvy businessman and outsider among some circles has reflected positively in surveys on issues such as border security and the economy.

Ultimately, the outcome of this election will depend on a very concrete number: the 270 electoral votes needed to guarantee victory.

However, what this campaign, with two different heroes at its center, makes clear is that perception is as important as policy proposals.