Last weekend for Obama and McCain
The race for the White House enters its final weekend, with Barack Obama and John McCain continuing to raise the tempo of their campaigns.
Americans go to the polls on Tuesday to decide which of the pair will succeed George Bush as president of the United States.
Both Democrats and Republicans are commencing frantic efforts to persuade voters out to polling booths.
And the campaigning rallies continue across traditionally Republican states as Mr Obama continues to pressure Mr McCain in territory he would not have expected to be competing in six months.
Mr McCain’s claims the momentum appears to be shifting in his favour is backed up by the latest Reuters/Zogby poll, which sees Mr Obama’s lead reduced from seven to five per cent.
He has been aided by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was rolled out on Friday to criticise the junior Illinois senator.
“John McCain has served his country longer from a POW camp than his opponent has served in the United States Senate,” he pointed out.
Mr Obama sought to closely link Mr McCain with the current White House resident while talking about his two children.
“Every year they’ve got trouble deciding what they want to be for Halloween – but John McCain didn’t have that problem. Just like every year he’s going as George W Bush.”
Mr McCain will appear on Saturday Night Live tonight after rallies in Pennsylvania and Virginia, both of which are expected to vote Democrat on current polls.
Mr Obama is also campaigning in these states before moving on to Missouri, which has predicted every national winner of the last century but one.
