Clinton clings on to fragile and narrowing lead

Washington - Trump, for his part, continued to focus his campaign comments on jobs, crime and undocumented immigrants, and again cast himself as a political outsider.

Days before Americans head to the polls on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton was making a last-gasp defense of her lead as the gap between her and Donald Trump continued to narrow in the tight electoral race.
In Michigan, Wisconsin and New Mexico - which until recently had been safely considered in the hands of the Democrats - Clinton's lead has narrowed significantly as Trump pushes to swing at least one state into the Republican camp and improve his electoral college chances. Trump has also made progress in states like Ohio, Arizona and New Hampshire.
In response, Clinton has stepped up her own efforts to appeal to voters in contested states, with her Friday schedule including appearances in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio. Many pundits pointed to what they consider an increased sense of urgency in her efforts.
In Pittsburgh, for example, Clinton urged supporters to stage "an intervention" with family and friends who plan to vote for Trump by explaining that "anger is not a plan."
"Sometimes the fate of the great nations comes down to a single moment," Clinton remarked. "This is one of those make-or-break moments for the United States. This is in your hands."
On Friday, a Washington Post-ABC poll showed Clinton with a narrow three per cent lead, with CNN showing her dipping below the necessary 270 electoral votes for the first time in months.
Trump, for his part, continued to focus his campaign comments on jobs, crime and undocumented immigrants, and again cast himself as a political outsider.
"Don't let the pundits, the politicians or the media tell you what kind of a country you have," Trump told a crowd of supporters in Wilmington, Delaware. "Don't let them limit your dreams because they want to limit your dreams. You can have any future you want."
On the streets of Washington DC - which traditionally votes overwhelmingly for the Democrats - a sense of nervousness was palpable among Clinton's supporters.
Among those who expressed apprehension was Yolonda Yates, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, who on Friday was distributing pro-Clinton material in Washington's Lafayette Square, just across from the White House.
"I'm very much concerned about those numbers," she said. "That means that we, Clinton supporters, really, really need to get out and vote."
"Still, the Republican Party has had such a miserable, really tough time of it," she added, explaining she thought it was difficult for Trump to win.
Another Clinton supporter, DC native Alexander Garcia, said he "remained confident" that Clinton's relatively strong support among minority groups and women would propel her to victory.
"I find it really hard to believe that the combined force of black, Latino and many female voters wouldn't be able to pull her (Clinton) through," he told Khaleej Times. "It's closer than me or anyone else voting for her would like, but at the end of the day, polls don't mean much."
Trump supporters, for their part, expressed confidence that the recent upsurge in support would mean a surprise victory come election time.
"The fact is that people have now come to the realization that she isn't trustworthy and is the worst kind of politician," said tourist Steve Carmine, a New Yorker. "Watch - he'll win, despite what the media says about it all." 
bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• Battle For White House