In his final appeal to Nevada voters, Barack Obama on Saturday returned to the campaign theme of unity that launched his rapid rise in politics, telling voters they can end divisive politics “once and for all” if they elect him to the White House.
Three days before voters head to the polls, the Democratic presidential candidate accused his Republican rival John McCain of the “the politics of anything goes.”
“Nevada, at this moment, in this election, we have the chance to do more than just beat back this kind of politics in the short term. We can end it once and for all,” Obama told a crowd of 15,000 gathered in the sun on the Coronado High School football field.
“We can prove that the one thing more powerful than that kind of politics is the will and determination of the American people to change this country.”
The mention of McCain drew groans from the crowd. Obama said: “You don’t need to boo. You just need to vote.”
The rally kicked off a weekend of canvassing, phone banking and surrogate visits — a hurried push by both campaigns to reach as many voters as possible before Election Day.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried to fire up volunteers at McCain headquarters in southern Nevada on Saturday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Giuliani said the media had not sufficiently investigated Obama’s associations with 60’s radical William Ayers, convicted fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko and Palistinian-American professor Rashid Khalidi.
“What it has covered up is a complete lack of experience and made that a less significant issue,” he said. “I would say the single most important issue in a presidential campaign is character. And can you handle the crises that will be thrown your way as president of the United States? And will you invite more crises because of your inexperience?” he said.
McCain is expected to appear at a rally in Henderson on Monday, while his running mate Sarah Palin campaigns in Elko and Reno. Obama’s wife, Michelle, will campaign on Monday in North Las Vegas.
Saturday marked Obama’s 20th stop in Nevada since launching his bid for the White House nearly two years ago. The Silver State was a battleground in both the Democratic primary and the general election. After months of being locked in a dead heat with McCain, Obama is heading into Election Day with the edge in momentum and votes.
Tallies of early and absentee votes cast in Washoe and Clark County, home to 87 percent of all voters, show Democrats with a 90,000-voter advantage. Election officials are expecting a record turnout.
Still, Obama warned Democrats on Saturday against overconfidence.
“Don’t believe for a second this election is over. Don’t think for a minute that power will concede everything. We’re going to have to work like our future depends on it in these last few days, because it does,” he said.
“We have a righteous wind at our back,” he added.
Organizers then tried to put the crowd to put. They directed supporters to a nearby soccer field where they could sign up to start canvassing neighborhoods.
Among the ranks were hundreds of supporters from California, where Obama is all but assured a victory.
McCain also drew volunteers from states he was expected to win handily. Two buses carrying about 100 college students from Utah and Idaho arrived in southern Nevada Friday.
Utah State senior Jen Lewis, 25, was among them.
“It’s exciting,” she said, as she watched volunteers buzz in and out of McCain headquarters. “Here you have diversity and people with different opinions. It’s like a watching a good basketball game.”
