World News 26-10-2000 Presidential Campaigners Neck and Neck who: Al Gore and George W. Bush what: Neck and neck as election race turns south where: Nashville, Tenessee when: Yesterday snippet: "Al Gore headed home yesterday with polls showing he has reversed a two-week slump and again edged ahead in the race for the White House," reports Tim Shipman in The Express today. "With the Vice President in a statistical dead heat with Texas Governor George W Bush," he continues, "both candidates were homing in on states they must win". At a fundraising rally in his home state, Nashville, Tennessee, Mr Gore was entertained by crooner Tony Bennett singing `The Best Is Yet To Come` but, comments The Guardian`s Martin Kettle, in any normal election race Mr Gore would be visiting traditionally marginal Democratic states instead. "His schedule this week is another mark of how things are simply different in this year`s nip-and-tuck White House race," he reports. The southern states of Arkansas, Tennessee and West Virginia - normally Democratic cornerstones - are likely to be "remain volatile right down to the wire". Accordingly, George W Bush has been in Florida, where he hinted to schoolchildren that revenge for Bill Clinton`s election victory over his father was a driving force in his campaign. "I’ll tell you it was really hard to be the son of the President for this reason," he said. "I took every slight, every ugly editorial, every cartoon to heart. I didn’t like it when people criticised my dad. It’s because I love him. I love him more than anything. He gave me a phenomenal gift called unconditional love. It helps explain who I am". [... more]

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