The presidential election in the United States of America has been singular in some ways. First, an impressive voter turnout did not lead to a decisive victory for either candidate in the fray. Second — this is no less significant — Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, would be a satisfied man at the end of the day no matter what the results of the poll are. That is because Trumpism — the body of core values espoused by this maverick, controversial leader — seems to have left an indelible mark on America. This is borne out by the fact that in spite of the opinion polls predicting a relatively comfortable victory for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, the race has been a lot closer than what had been expected. That only means that a substantial segment of the US endorses the Trumpian vision. Two elements are integral to this perspective. First, the resurrection of the principle of isolationism, which was the hallmark of American foreign policy in the 1930s. Mr Trump’s appeal, especially in the American heartland, remains formidable on account of his ability to effectively combine economic protectionism with insularity in foreign policy. The second — critical — dimension of the Trumpian formula is best expressed by the slogan, ‘America First’. This supposed prioritization of the nation over the US’s international commitments, too, has struck a deep chord. That explains the public support not only for Mr Trump’s strategy to lock horns with China but also for his explicit anti-immigrant ethic. A large number of Americans have been made to believe that their rights to education, employment and trade could be protected by building a wall — metaphorical or literal.

Of course, the US turning a corner under Mr Trump cannot be viewed in isolation. Much of the global order, on account of the crisis in capitalism, remains under the spell of charismatic leaders who are promising their people a return to greatness. The clash between Mr Trump and Mr Biden in that sense is also a bitter battle between two different kinds of ethos. Multilateralism, institutional integrity, gender and racial justice, accommodation and global outreach — the trademarks of Mr Biden’s liberal pill to resuscitate the US — have been pitted against a shrill — bigoted? — conservatism. It is unlikely that the US would be able to purge the shadow of Mr Trump’s ideals any time soon irrespective of the outcome of the roll of the electoral dice.