With just hours to go before the polls open in the U.S. presidential election, Democratic Party presidential nominee John Kerry is racing through an extensive series of campaign stops in an effort to defeat Republican President George Bush.
Senator Kerry is telling supporters at rallies in key states that all the hopes and dreams of America are on the line in this election. He says the world is watching to see who will be the next president of the United States.
The democratic presidential nominee told the crowd at an airport rally in Florida that he is the candidate that can strengthen the nation's alliances around the world.
"I believe that we can bring the world back to the side of America," he said. "I believe that we can regain America's respect and influence in the world and I believe we deserve a president who knows how to fight a more effective war on terror and make America safe."
Recent public opinion surveys show the presidential race is extraordinarily tight. Both campaigns are focusing on about a dozen of America's 50 states where polls are showing the contest is too close to call.
During his final blitz of campaigning, Senator Kerry is continuing what has been a barrage of criticism of President Bush's domestic policies.
The Democratic candidate renewed his commitment to repeal Bush administration tax cuts for Americans making more than $200,000 per year, promised to reform the nation's health care system, and chided Mr. Bush for saying that being president is hard work.
"The president just keeps on looking at you and saying it's hard work, it's hard work, it's hard work," he said. "Well today and tomorrow Mr. President, millions of Americans are going to help me to do what we need to do, which is relieve you of that hard work and set American into a new direction."
On this final day of the campaign Senator Kerry is storming through states like Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio in a marathon of appearances designed to excite his supporters and motivate them to vote on Election Day.
In a remarkable example of how closely contested certain areas of the United States are, the motorcades for President Bush and Senator Kerry passed each other here in Milwaukee.
