Obama, McCain battle across campaign's closing day

ByABC News
November 3, 2008, 4:01 PM

TAMPA -- Presidential contenders Barack Obama, who is leading in national polls, and John McCain, self-described underdog, were both upbeat Monday about their electoral prospects as they sprinted cross-country to rally support on the eve of Election Day.

"I am cautiously optimistic about our chances," Obama said in an interview on the Ed Schultz Show. " I think that if we work hard, if people go out and vote in the way I know is possible, then I think we have a good chance of reversing eight years of a mismanaged economy and really start helping people get on their feet again and that's what this election's all about."

McCain seemed to relish the underdog role as he fed off the energy of support at a morning rally in Tampa.

"With this kind of enthusiasm, and this kind of intensity, we will win Florida and we will win this race tomorrow," the Arizona senator said.

"The pundits may not know it, but the Mac is back. And we're going to win this election."

The final Gallup poll of likely voters showed Obama leading McCain, 53% to 42%.

Both began the last full-day of campaigning in the critical battleground state of Florida, which most polls showed as a dead heat. Polls show the six closest states are Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and Ohio.

The candidates are hitting the tossups states in search of enough electoral votes to hit the 270 needed to claim the presidency.

McCain, the Republican, was blitzing seven states in 17 hours Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada ending after midnight with a rally in Prescott, Ariz., where he has traditionally ended his Senate campaigns.

Obama, the Democrat, was stumping in Virginia and Indiana before returning home to Chicago for a huge rally in Grant Park Tuesday evening.

On Election Day, however, both planned to squeeze in one last round of campaigning close to home: McCain in New Mexico and Obama in Indiana.

The final scramble across several time zones once again reflected the state of the race for the past month, with both contenders largely hitting traditionally Republican states.