Tuesday, November 5th is the day: the American elections. The Dutch media almost seem to pay more attention to it than to our own tumultuous election campaign of the past year. And that is not so strange, because the American elections are a political spectacle whose outcome has an impact on the entire world - also on our small country. Reason enough for Issuemaker Pieter Idenburg to cross the ocean and witness this spectacle up close. He wrote a personal account of his experience in swing state Pennsylvania.  

Yes, there you are, suddenly on Monday October 14th in Oaks, Pennsylvania among thousands of MAGA supporters. A year ago the plan was born to experience the American elections up close. Without much preparation my brother and I traveled, with Philadelphia as our central 'hub'.  

Of course you know the images of a Trump rally, but it is still a special experience to witness it yourself. The lyrics that warmed us all up were coarse and raw: 'FUCK KAMALA!', 'RAPING MIGRANTS INVADE OUR COUNTRY', and so on. We held our breath, would it really get out of hand? In the end, it didn't. It helped that there were many families with children, grandparents in the audience. All white, mind you. And Trump himself was in a relaxed mood.  

It was not an endless speech this time, a 'town hall' was chosen where selected visitors could ask questions. Sometimes even about very normal issues: expensive groceries, difficulty in getting a house. For all Americans life is expensive, having two jobs is often a necessity. Reason for The Donald to elaborate inimitably in his answer. And then to state bluntly: 'We are going to fix all of that in the first week!'. In any case, drilling cheap oil is his solution to almost everything ('Drill, baby, drill!'). So it was raw and crude, but not yet grim or overtly racist, as we saw last week at his big rally in New York. What remains is that his supporters really see him as a Savior. This was no longer a gathering of the Republican Party, this was the worship of the Leader who fights for them and will solve all their problems. Demonizing migrants is an indispensable ingredient in the rhetoric. 

And the Democrats? Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Kamala Harris herself. But that was completely made up for, because we were able to go to a private fundraising dinner of the local chapter in Philadelphia. With the president himself as special guest: Joe Biden. Here the audience was clearly more diverse. A warm bath for the outgoing president, who once again addressed his fans in the old-fashioned way – and with a remarkable amount of energy. Incidentally, here too people were concerned about their income and daily expenses; in that respect, there are not only contradictions in this divided country. 

In America, elections are a beastly monster, intense, with enormous energy, money-devouring. And what also remains is that as a politician you really have to fight to win over your voter. You have to give yourself completely, whether your name is Trump or Harris. Or when you are a candidate for the Senate or even for local government. That is in contrast to our country, where candidates often anonymously end up in parliament on the tailgates of the party or the leader. That makes the bond between voter and elected representative in our country so much weaker. It would be nice if our politicians would further develop their skills in persuading, communicating and making contact with voters. A consultation hour in your own region could be a good start. 

All in all, it was special to experience. The surreal image of Donald Trump on stage, gently swaying to the pompous sounds of Ave Maria, stays with you forever. It was exciting, but we are keeping our fingers crossed for November 5th.