I do continue to analyze this rematch as a normal election
Strange you misunderstood me.
You typed you recognize it is not a normal election and then immediately analyze with historical perspectives. That is not what I was saying. This isn't about any historically unique characteristic such as favorability ratings, or incumbent non-incumbent races. This is totally about one person, Trump, and how he represents everything which is not Democratic in America. At no time in our history has such a person run for President. That is what makes this election NOT historical in any respect.
Thus any political analysis has to be done with a different mindset. No longer are the historical stats relevant. When a large number of criminal indictments, convictions for fraud and sexual misconduct, etc don't dissuade the electorate, anew set of criteria are necessary to understand what the polls mean. Check the policy initiatives from Project 2025. These are the Christian Nationalist policies of fascism. At no time in our history has such extremist views been so prevalent.
I don't make any claims as to what the criteria should be to understand the new paradigm, I only know the old historical criteria are not valid.
is it apathy or that around half of all Americans don’t want to choose between two disliked and unwanted candidates
Can't answer it, because I don't know.
What I do know is this is only the second time in our history when an election has consequences which assail the Foundations of Democracy. Perhaps for most folks, it doesn't matter who is in office. They keep their heads down and talk of the weather. For others it is the intangible sense of relief one has when one knows government has some restrictions to one's personal freedom. For me it has a greater meaning.
Apathy or they don't like the choices, it doesn't matter. What does matter is whether Democracy will survive.
As the French say ... Vive la République .... and as Ben Franklin said, It is a Republic if they can keep it
My God after all this time it has come to a charlatan bringing it all down ... perhaps we deserve it
