Barack Obama, John McCain Face Off in Final Presidential Debate

Oct. 15, 2008— -- The final presidential debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama may display the most fireworks yet as the growing odds for a beleaguered McCain make his vow to "whip his you-know-what" all the more important.

McCain, who has cast himself as the "underdog" in the race, has been unable to stop the slide in his poll numbers through the first two debates.

A New York Times/CBS News poll indicates that the Republican contender has fallen as much as 14 points behind Obama -- a lead that is also reflected in numerous battleground state polls.

Earlier this week, an ABC News/Washington Post poll showed Obama with a 10-point national lead.

"John McCain has pulled a rabbit out of a hat before over the course of his career, but this is going to be a rather large rabbit out of a very small hat," Matthew Dowd, a veteran political strategist and ABC News political contributor, told "Good Morning America" today.

Watch the Final Presidential Debate Live on ABC at 9 p.m. ET

McCain and Obama will sit face-to-face with moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Under such conditions, it will be difficult for the candidates to avoid looking each other in the eye if and when they swap criticism and attacks.

McCain was egged on by supporters last Friday who told the Republican candidate, "We want you to fight at your next debate." McCain replied, "I think I just got my marching orders."

McCain has suggested it's likely the subject of Obama's relationship with William Ayers, the 1960s radical and co-founder of the domestic terrorist group the Weather Underground, will come up in the debate.

Obama expressed surprise that charges by the McCain -- such as those involving Ayers -- were not raised in the second presidential debate.

"I am surprised that ... he wasn't willing to say it to my face," Obama told ABC News' Charlie Gibson in an interview last week. "But I guess we've got one last debate. So presumably, if he ends up feeling that he needs to, he will raise it during the debate."