By Leslie Hoffman
The Associated Press
President Bush used his last campaign visit to New Mexico, a state he narrowly lost in the last presidential election, to energize supporters during a chilly rally on the eve of Election Day.
The event punctuated what has been a frenzied campaign atmosphere in a state closely watched by both Republicans and Democrats as they fight for five electoral votes that could end up making a difference in a close national race.
"We're comin' down the stretch, and there's no better place to come than Albuquerque, N.M.," Bush told a crowd of about 10,000 people as they braved temperatures that dropped to near 40.
The rally had all the trapping of a big campaign event, complete with live music, fireworks and the president's wife and twin daughters.
Bush chose New Mexico — where he lost in 2000 to Democrat Al Gore by 366 votes — as the last stop Monday in a six-state, 19-hour campaign swing that ended in Texas.
"This is the last state before he heads to his home state of Texas and that itself expresses the importance of New Mexico," Bush campaign spokesman Danny Diaz said.
During the rally, Bush touched on core themes ranging from national security and health care to education. He also poked fun at himself, but not without emphasizing his serious side.
"Sometimes I'm a little too blunt. I get that from my mother. Sometimes I mangle the English language. I get that from my dad," he said. "But at all times, whether you agree with me or not, you know where I stand."
Bush told the crowd that the nation needs a clear and decisive leader.
"The American president must lead with clarity and purpose," he said. "The role of a president is not to follow the path of the latest polls."
While Bush criticized Democratic challenger John Kerry during the rally for flip-flopping, the Massachusetts senator used his final day of campaigning to talk about what he called a failed policy in Iraq and a new deficit.
Bush told those gathered at the outdoor amphitheater in Albuquerque about his stance on national security and pledged to continue to protect America.
"We are resolute. We are determined," Bush said.
Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, both New Mexico Republicans, were at Monday's rally. Wilson faces Democrat Richard Romero in her re-election bid in the 1st Congressional District.
Before the senior senator introduced the president, Wilson talked to the crowd about the Founding Fathers and the importance of voting.
"Tomorrow it's up to us," she said. "We the people will decide who the next president of the United States is."
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