Eight years ago, the mood on the campaign trail was so toxic that US First Lady Michelle Obama told voters "when they go low, we go high." In 2024, with a campaign that's too close to call, it feels even darker. To borrow the title of a famous book about the 1972 election, there is plenty of fear and loathing on the campaign trail in the homestretch of a tight US presidential race marred by character assassinations and racist tropes.