Even with checks and balances, four years of executive power can change the country – perhaps even the course of history – considerably. As a result, every presidential election, from FDR’s near-sweep of Republican Alf Randolph in 1936 to the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2000’s Bush v. Gore nail-biter, matters a great deal and is, indeed, historic. This one feels especially important, too, set against the backdrop of COVID-19, a crucial Supreme Court nomination and a fiercely divided electorate.
On the left, we have the oldest presidential candidate ever, at 77 years old. And on the right, we have the oldest president ever, a 74-year-old real-estate mogul and former reality TV star whose brash, off-the-cuff style has captivated the country, though not always in a good way.