Obama to place 'closing argument'; McCain not ready to give up

Washington, Oct 27 (PTI) Riding high on favourable
surveys, Democratic White House nominee Barack Obama was to
present a "closing argument" before voters Monday, asking them
to choose "change" over the "failed" Bush-McCain policies.

Obama, delivering a speech in the battleground state of
Ohio -- where Republican rival John McCain is also to take
stage later in the day -- will pitch for national unity amid a
bitterly divided election campaign and focus on the economic
policies he plans to bring in.

Opening the week before the November 4 polls, Obama will
also harp on his pet theme -- that choosing McCain will be
like giving another term to the eight-year-long regime of
President George W. Bush.

"In his speech, Senator Obama will tell voters that after
twenty-one months and three debates, Senator McCain still has
not been able to tell the American people a single major thing
he'd do differently from George Bush when it comes to the
economy," the Obama campaign said in a statement posted in
various U.S. media websites.

"Obama will ask Americans to help him change this
country...they can choose hope over fear, unity over division
and the promise of change over the power of the status quo."

Even the lowest of estimates in the electoral college
vote in the various scenarios have shown Obama winning 270
votes that are needed quite easily and projections for the
Democratic nominee have even gone in the upwards of 360 which
will point to a landslide that has not been witnessed for
quite some time now.

The clear edge to the Democrat candidate will be
impacting the races for the U.S. Congress as well and the
Democrats are looking to "unleash a bloodbath in the House of
Representatives and the Senate."

In the House, the Democrats are expected to be picking
up between 25 to 30 seats from the current strength of 235.
In the Senate the party is looking at a majority of 60 seats
or up by 11 from the current position.

Despite a series of national polls pointing to the
contrary, McCain said he believes he will make it to the White
House and dismissed Obama as overconfident.

In an N.B.C. television interview, the Vietnam war
veteran said that his campaign had picked up strength last
week and "we'll continue to be very competitive in many of the
battleground states."

I could "guarantee you that two weeks from now you will
see this has been a very close race. And I believe that I'm
going to win it," he said.

In Ohio, a new poll by eight big newspapers showed Obama
leading McCain by 3 percentage points. Last month, McCain held
a six-point lead in the state.

Since Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, no Republican
has ever won the presidency without carrying Ohio. PTI S.D.G.
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