World News 02-11-2004 Bush vs Kerry Neck and Neck who: Bruce Springsteen what: Joins John Kerry in final push for Democratic vote where: Cleveland, Ohio when: Yesterday snippet: "Like two exhausted boxers in the final round of a gruelling title fight, George Bush and John Kerry threw their last punches at each other yesterday," says The Independent, "as they raced across the American heartland making final appeals to voters. The polls showed the two men to be locked in a statistical tie." "Mr Bush returned to Texas after a relentless day of rallies in an attempt to galvanise the faithful," says the BBC. "He began Monday at dawn, with rallies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Mexico... Mr Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, ended a day spent criss-crossing the nation with a major rally in Cleveland, Ohio. The Democratic Party candidate was joined on stage by his wife Theresa Heinz Kerry and rock star Bruce Springsteen." "A last-minute poll had Bush and Kerry both on 49 per cent as Gallup calculated the likely intentions of `undecided` voters for the first time," says The Mirror. "Traditionally, nine out of 10 of the uncommitted throw their support behind the challenger." "For the Democrats, there was one positive omen," says The Guardian. "It is part of US political lore that whenever the Washington Redskins football team lose their last Sunday game before the election, the incumbent will be defeated. It has held true since 1936, and on Sunday the Redskins lost." Senator Kerry needs a swing of ten electoral college votes to oust the president tonight. The BBC`s election timetable calculates that we may know if that has happened, or at least have a clear indication, by 4.00am British time, when the polls close in California, which has 55 electoral college votes (53 congressmen and two senators). If you want to stay up to follow events, BBC1 has coverage from 11.50pm to 5.00am, ITV1`s programme is from 12.30am to 5.30am, the Sky News election special lasts from 11.00pm till 10.00am and, according to The Times, CNN International has the longest scheduled coverage from midnight tonight until 11.00pm tomorrow evening. [... more]

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