Difficult to believe, but Donald Trump seems to be on track to become US president.

A MAN IN New York City stands in a corner at a busy street intersection wearing a T-shirt that reads “If you give me $1, I won’t vote for Trump.” He makes quite a few bucks every day.

Amusing, but it gives a glimpse of the current political scenario in America. Trump is very unpopular. So is Hillary Clinton.

A political scenario marked by negativity. People are talking about how bad Trump is. And they are talking about how bad Hillary is. Many remain undecided or unsatisfied with the two major- party candidates. Many are reluctant to vote for either.

“I think in general, this reflects the high unfavourability ratings that Clinton and Trump have,” says Baldwin Wallace College political scientist Tom Sutton. “It’s almost as if people are hoping for one of them to dramatically change or someone else to show up, neither of which is going to happen”.

Many Democrats who wish Hillary was “better”, won’t vote or vote for Trump. And many republicans who hate Trump are going to vote for Hillary.

Supporters of both candidates are rather subdued and quiet. Hardly a month before the November 8 polls, neither yard signs nor car bumper stickers supporting either candidate are not visible this time.

The most striking and surprising thing about this election campaign season is indeed the rise of Donald Trump, although he still is the most hated and ridiculed candidate. He is being made fun of for his hair style, his outrageous statements, and his style of campaigning. He often makes insensitive or factually wrong statements that in the past would have destroyed a candidate’s prospects.

Yet, the more Trump is criticised, the more popular he seems to get. Latest polls show Hillary Clinton’s nationwide lead over Donald Trump has narrowed down to single digit. Voters on both sides increasingly see a Trump win as a possibility.

There are many reasons for Trump's popularity.

The first factor for the rise of Trump is Hillary Clinton. Although she’s liberal on most social issues, it’s a hard-sell to portray her as the candidate of change. Voters are in a populist mood and in a mood to turn to an outsider. That helps explain the appeal of Trump. Hillary Clinton is nearly as unpopular as Donald Trump, and she has yet to convince voters she is trustworthy.

People are sick of the political establishment. Polls show people don't like politicians, and Trump, as a first-time candidate, isn't a standard politician.

He isn't asking people for money because he can self-fund his campaign, unlike most politicians. Bradley Crate, who worked as chief financial officer for the Mitt Romney campaign in 2012, said: “The Trump campaign has changed the traditional campaign model.

Trump is confident, and Americans love confidence, even if it isn't backed up with substance, Stanford psychologist Jeffrey Pfeffer told The Washington Post that Trump "does it with more force. He does it with more energy. Energy is contagious."

His anti-illegal immigration stance is popular with people, especially the Republicans, who also tend to dislike illegal immigration, according to many polls. During the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, people chanted, "Build the wall! Build the wall!"

With wages stagnant, people are worried about their economic prospects. Trump's business success makes some voters feel confident about the future.

Many see the Trump family as a picture of the American Dream. When Donald Trump says that he wants to make America great again, they believe him.

Trump speaks at a 4th Grade level, which makes it easy to understand his message, wrote London’s The Independent.

His initial proposal to block all Muslims from entering the US found many supporters, although later he changed his stance, saying it was just a suggestion.

A fearful nation, watching Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe and America, is looking for someone who will be tough and unrelenting.

Toughness has been Trump’s brand, and in a tumultuous political season, transgression is his method. He had already promised to water-board terrorist suspects and “more than that”, despite international treaties against torture. He has vowed to “bomb the sh-t” out of the Islamic State fighters in Syria and elsewhere.

”He says what everyone wants to say but are afraid to say,” said a political commentator.

With terror attacks making headlines across the world, Americans feel uneasy and want to trust someone. They think Trump can fight Islamic terrorism more aggressively and effectively than Hillary can.

In other words, people believe he can take the bull by the horns.

His anti-trade remarks are popular in swing states such as Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump could win over independents who don't like Clinton. With only 43 per cent of voters saying they will back Clinton, Trump can win with undecided voters without having to take any of her votes, polls show.

Many voters are trying to grasp, as they believe, an unprecedented menace a Trump presidency could be.

Many Americans are so frustrated that they say, if Trump wins, they will move to Canada. Many Canadians have already joked that if Trump wins, they will put up a wall, and make Americans pay for it.