Joe Biden's tactic of staying put in the final frenzied days of campaigning is working to his advantage, says Newshub national correspondent Patrick Gower, while Donald Trump's frenetic race to nationwide rallies leaves him wide open to blunders on the world stage.
Speaking from Delaware, the state where the Democratic presidential candidate was raised and educated, Gower discussed the "fascinating" tactic devised by Biden's team to ensure the 77-year-old stays out of the headlines - for the wrong reasons.
"He's playing a fascinating kind of game at the moment, where he is letting Donald Trump take all the risks," Gower told The AM Show from Wilmington, the city where Biden resides.
"Trump is doing this frenetic race across the country, five rallies a day, but Biden will often stay in Delaware, like he is today, and maybe do a television broadcast... Trump makes a real thing of it, that Biden can't get out and about and can't do what Trump does."
Biden, who served as Vice President to Barack Obama, has gained a reputation for his foot-in-mouth tendencies following a string of political gaffes. His age - with Gower noting the candidate did appear "quite old" in person - has also been a topic of debate, with many questioning if Biden is capable of running the country.
Yet maintaining Delaware as a base for Biden's electioneering means the 77-year-old is less likely to be caught acting "sloppy or saying strange things when he's caught on the hop", Gower suggested.
"Biden is playing it very safe and staying at home... it's all very stage-managed," he said.
"It's quite amazing that the whole tradition of zig-zagging across the country as we've seen in American elections - Biden does not do that. He stays here and nips out every now and then."
Meanwhile, Trump's manic race to rallies across the country leaves him open to missteps under a glaring spotlight, with just six days before the election.
"Biden is essentially running down the clock on Trump, staying in front, hoping Trump is the one that makes the mistakes," Gower explained.
"Trump is the one out there... talking about coronavirus, offending people - and that's where Biden is coming from, he's playing this very safe game where he's trying to force Trump into the mistakes."
The incumbent President will be pinning his hopes on a spectacular Biden gaffe in these crucial final days, Gower noted, as the latest polls indicate the Democratic candidate is in the lead.
Biden's strategy also seems sensible amid the country's ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. While Trump, who has faced widespread condemnation for his response to the virus, darts across the US to rallies full of unmasked supporters - as referenced in his contentious 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl - a predominantly masked Biden appears more cautious and careful, with a greater emphasis on social distancing at his events.
The US has seen record numbers of early voting, with predictions the election could have the highest rate of voter turnout in more than a century.
