In Washington
THREE days away from choosing their next president, Americans are in a high state of excitement.
In a crowded Washington subway, a young man on the phone claims he will be "severely depressed" if Senator Barack Obama loses. A woman across the aisle purses her lips and looks away.
In roadside stalls, souvenir and gift shops, Halloween masks of both candidates are selling briskly (it's a puzzle to me whether the wearers think the grotesque rubber and plastic masks are a trick or a treat), as are Obama- and McCain-faced cookies (I thought of picking one, but couldn't decide which one in the end. And it later struck me that unlike a voter I could have had both).
In this last wild weekend, closing the longest presidential race, the last-minute pitches are growing frantic.
The opinion polls - as has happened in the last four out of five elections - are narrowing further.
Passions are heating up. Such that even at this late stage people are second-guessing the choice of running mates.
Should it have been Mrs Hillary Clinton after all for Mr Obama? Was Mrs Sarah Palin Mr John McCain's biggest mistake?
Worries that there could be chaos on the Big Day are being voiced louder. Many say they are afraid their vote will somehow be lost or not counted. Mostly, these are Obama backers who fear that somehow their candidate will be thwarted in his tryst with destiny.
At this point, according to a survey, at least eight in 10 Americans believe their country is on the wrong track.
This measure of dissatisfaction also speaks of expectations from the next incumbent of the White House.
But what can the next president really do?
Voters have pretty definite ideas.
An Associated Press-Yahoo! News survey taken at the beginning of the year showed a large majority of voters believes the president has considerable sway on economic issues such as inflation, interest rates, the federal deficit and taxes.
About three-quarters believe the president has at least some influence over healthcare costs.
Some 69 per cent think the president can cause a change in petrol prices.
The voters were less certain about the president's ability to change how things really work in Washington - a major election promise made by both Senators Obama and McCain.
Some 55 per cent thought that was possible; 44 per cent did not, no matter who's elected.
The financial crisis is crowding out the long to-do list for the next president, shooting past priorities such as the ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, finding solutions to the high energy prices or providing affordable healthcare. All of which are critical to America's well being and will spring back on the agenda after the firefighting is over.
Then, there is a measure of cynicism about big-mouth politicians.
Former president Richard Nixon set a 1980 deadline for ending US dependence on foreign oil - a goal still unmet. Who can forget President George H W Bush's "Read my lips, no more taxes". He had to eat his words.
Mr Bill Clinton gloriously pledged to end the era of big government; he prevailed but for a brief while. President George W. Bush promised to pay down the national debt by US$2 trillion, it has grown to about US$10 trillion.
Still, hope has a long shelf life.
If that were not the case, we would not be looking at predictions of a landslide in voter turnout.
Read the full Saturday Special report in The Straits Times today.