The back-to-back presidential nominating conventions that concluded with Donald Trump’s speech showed both sides intend to fight for the sliver of independent and moderate voters who will decide the election, each with a wildly different strategy in the final sprint to Nov 3.

A self-styled showman, Trump used all of his reality-show talents during the Republican convention this week to try to win back supporters alienated by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with a dire warning on Thursday night of a lawless America if his Democratic rival Joe Biden takes power.