By Dayo Benson, Virginia
Monday last week was a special day in America. It was Halloween. Like in some countries, it was the eve of the Western Christian feast of Allhallows Day. October 31 of every year marks the commencement of three-day observance of Allhallowtide. It is dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all departed faithful. The sharp political divide was subsumed in the festivities of the cold eve. The twisted celebration was not strong enough to unite Americans momentarily.

It is indeed a divided people that cast their ballots to elect the next president. This is an election that witnessed the most uncivilised campaigns in the history of American’s 240-year-old democracy. Value and decency yielded way to the profane and crude rhetorics. These characterised the three presidential debates and campaign rallies.  Republican Nominee Donald Trump and ex-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton traded insults on character.

The sound bites spewing from some of the rallies had flavour of hate speeches. Sometimes, the messages rang hallow, lacking substance and focus. That probably explained a large number of undecided voters.

At other times, the campaigns went from the sublime to the ridiculous. Despite Several public denunciation of neo-nazist white supremacist  David Duke, the Republican Presidential campaign team is still  linked with the Klu Klux klan leader. Hilary was accused of laughing at a 12-year-old girl rape victim during cross-examination in a case she was asked to defend in 1975. The lawyer who prosecuted the case faulted the accusation. He is Hilary supporter.