After a rousing start to her campaign, the Democratic candidate is flatlining in the polls, and sexism could swing the vote in Donald Trump’s favour

Will the unsurprising yet significant fact that Kamala Harris is a woman decisively tip the knife-edge US election in Donald Trump’s favour? Democrat jitters grow as the campaign enters its final two weeks. Polls predict a dead heat nationally. Trump is edging ahead in key battleground states. Misogyny, hidden and pernicious, may make a crucial difference.

It’s frankly incredible that Trump, a convicted crook, cheat and sexual predator, is still in the race – and alarming that likeable, uninspiring Harris has not already sewn it up. Each day brings more wild Trump bombast about mass deportations, “enemies within” or pet-eating Haitians. His lies and threats explode like cluster bombs. He behaves like a fool.