The last stop on the US election roadshow.

 The last stop on the US election roadshow. 

So there we are ladies and gentlemen. This is the last pitstop on the road to the White House. The numbers are being crunched frantically and it's anybody's to either lose or win. American political elections have always been highly charged, viciously confrontational contests, a bearpit of nasty personal attacks, vindictive name-calling and, it has to be said, humiliating, verbal punch ups where neither Republican or Democrat parties should be proud of their exploits.

In a matter of weeks or just under, the great American public will be required to go to the ballot box to vote for their next President of the United States and America has our utmost sympathy. This is not going to be an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination for both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are quite possibly the two weakest candidates poor America could ever come up with. In fact this is more or less an identical re-run of the last American election when the corrupt and very naive businessman who once appeared alongside a group of people dressed up as chickens, asked his country whether they could take him seriously or not. You should never underestimate though the Trump feelgood factor. 

For the last four or years ago Trump has acted out the kind of ludicrous charade of remaining in complete control of America. The preposterous promises, grammatical absurdities, the vain, narcissistic poses, the somewhat foolish posturing and self-indulgence have all been on display for as long as anybody can remember. The words and ill-conceived sentences have been enough to make us all fall off our chairs with paroxysms of laughter. But Trump has been doing his utmost to convince everybody that he's the man for the job. 

Firstly Trump gave us those potty and irrational sounding guarantees that he was going to build a wall to keep him well away from intruding Mexicans who were simply not welcome in America. Then he warned whoever was prepared to listen to him that Mexico would have to pay for that wall. For some time now Trump has been raving and ranting, shouting and threatening, ducking and diving, scheming and plotting almost incessantly without any real understanding of what may be falling out of his mouth. 

In the run-up to the election Trump has been going to head to head with his opponent  Joe Biden a man who, if truth to be told, looks as if he should be contemplating a well-deserved retirement. But Trump is relentless, a well-oiled campaigning machine, pushing his feet firmly on the accelerator and driving purposefully towards the finishing line as if he knows what might be coming. The vast majority of Americans, you sense, will probably breathe a huge sigh of relief when the new President is finally confirmed. 

Last night Trump and Biden were re-fuelling on the last stop of their very own political roadshow. They stood at their lecterns, microphones on at full blast and then fired all manner of verbal grenades at each other. To be fair to both men this wasn't the bloodbath it might have been and the gloves were kept on to some extent but at times you could almost smell the hostility. They exchanged glances at each other, civilised this time but then desperate to land the knockout blow when the other wasn't looking. 

Trump went over much the same ground as he'd trodden on at previous occasions. Trump it seems, may be becoming quite predictable in his powder puff platitudes. You may be able to anticipate his next publicity stunt with some degree of certainty. Trump told the nation that the young and next generation have never had a better opportunity to seize the day and make the most of those idyllic years in front of them. He reassured us that America will always be the Land of the Free, never be daunted by any challenge and would lead the world in technology, sport, art, architecture but not chicken impressions. 

So here's the deal. In all probability, Trump will emerge on the morning of the election as a re-elected President of the United States. We can't be sure at the moment but although Trump is falling behind in the popularity stakes, the charisma and blow wave hair are still intact. Across America the movers and shakers, the highly influential men and women behind the scenes are shifting the counters and trying to add everything up. 

But this is a man who quite obviously believes that conspiracy theories will just send him packing his suitcases and back into the land of nowhere. Trump, it seems certain, will be busting a gut to prove everybody wrong, a man whose well-entrenched persecution complex may just overwhelm him. If he does lose out to Biden- and that could happen- then Trump will blame everything and anything that moves. 

Trump will blame Fox, CBS, CNN, Sky TV and any media outlet who so much as suggests that he is plainly incompetent, stupid and a blundering idiot who should be sent as far away from the White House as it's possible to be. He will hold out those expressive fingers, opening and shutting the palms of his hands before pointing and gesticulating for the umpteenth time. Both men will once again take up that very distinctive side on delivery, opening out the whole of their torsos to an audience who will either be fast asleep or just hoping that they'll just finish what they've got to say and go home.

And yet last night was indeed the final showdown, the last hurrah, the curtain-raiser to that big night when the fireworks will be released. In retrospect Hilary Clinton, Trump's last adversary, must be privately thrilled that she doesn't have to face any more of the music when it matters most. We are approaching the final mile and they're still glaring ominously at each other. Trump, it goes without saying, has got this one all wrapped up and Biden will be history. This could go to the wire but Donald Trump would never appreciate anymore chicken jokes. Let the battle commence.