"It ain't over until every vote is counted," Joe Biden said a little after half past midnight, stood on a stage in the US state of Delaware in front of a throng of supporters cheering and honking their car horns. But his campaign team, Mr Biden emphasised, is nothing but confident. Victory is out of sight at the moment, but one way or another it will come into view.
It was a pre-emptive strike, packaged in an air of much-needed optimism in a battle-scarred America. For weeks, there has been a general sense among the American political commentariat that this election would drag on. The incumbent president, Donald Trump, is famous for his refusal to apologise, and his refusal to admit defeat in any aspect of his life. It is difficult to imagine any scenario in which he would cede victory to his opponent today. It was never going to be that easy.
And so there has been a remarkable hesitance on the part of pollsters and pundits to call anything. So-called battleground states had counted upwards of 90 per cent of their votes, and it was still considered – psychologically, if not mathematically – too close to call. The waters have been too muddied by the tactics of these candidates for anyone to be assured of anything. Mr Biden's own assurances in Delaware today had the same tactical colour to them.
Mere minutes after Mr Biden waved goodbye for now to his supporters, Mr Trump's fingers were furiously tweeting.
"We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Poles are closed!"
That tweet was deleted and re-tweeted with the correct spelling of "polls", but has now been marked by Twitter as unsafe to view: "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process."
Biden's assurances in Delaware today had a tactical colour to them
No doubt Twitter's decision will only stoke the ire of Mr Trump's supporters. It will validate the sentiment among many of the President's followers that their voice is suppressed. Are they right?
Was Mr Biden's statement an effort to override the normal election process?
Only insofar as it mirrors Mr Trump's own pre-emptive strikes to dominate the narrative: his efforts over the past month to deligitimise postal voting, his insistence that there is a Deep State seeking to remove him through unconstitutional means and his painting of his opponent as a ruthless criminal. The difference, of course, is that Mr Biden's pre-emptive strike today carried a positive topspin rather than just a cynical message.
Sulaiman Hakemy is opinion editor at The National
Europe’s rearming plan
Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples. Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts. Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
All matches in Bulawayo Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
