As the election draws closer, a scandal-plagued candidate may be returned to the presidency. Why is it still so close?

1. Voluntary voting

There is an inherent volatility in the United States electoral system, given that voting is voluntary. Even in recent years, when voting has reached unusually high levels, only two-thirds, at most, of Americans vote in presidential elections.

2. Democrats losing touch

The result: it appears that large parts of the country are culturally Republican, based on a caricature of Democratic policies that the Democrats themselves have not effectively combated.

3. Fox in the henhouse

Finally, there is the right-wing media.

The United States has faced off with political advocacy cloaked as journalism before; the yellow journalism era at the end of the 19th century was even cruder than what we see today.

Together, these elements allowed Donald Trump and the MAGA movement to grow in power. In just a few weeks, we will see if the resulting momentum can be halted.