Let battle commence
Updated on 24 August 2008
The stage is set - literally.
For Barack Obama's bravura performance at this week's Democratic convention - the giant Pepsi stadium in Denver has been kitted out for the occasion, with giant plasma HDTVs giving it the neccessary cool factor.
Around the convention centre itself - slightly less welcoming ranks of armed commandos, swooping overhead in helicopters and patrolling the streets.
A local warehouse has even been turned into a temporary jail in case of trouble. It's cost more than two million dollars just to buy the police their own protection gear. The secret service are prepared for anything.
With wall to wall coverage of the Democrats in store - John McCain's team haven't wasted any time gearing up for the counter attack.
The RNC has set up a rapid response HQ in the heart of Denver - or, as they're calling it - the 'Not Ready '08 Response Centre'.
ABC reports it's got eight top quality TVs, a full kitchen (no microwaved tater-tots for these guys) and a press briefing room, complete with all the top surrogates you could imagine, from Mitt Romney to Rudi Giuliani.
Hang on a sec - weren't these guys just as snippy about McCain as Biden was about Obama during the primary contest?
Never mind that, their attack ad is airing already, focussing on Hillary Clinton's much-reported comments: "She won millions of votes. But isn't on his ticket," says the announcer. "Why? For speaking the truth".
And indeed, the Hillary stalwarts are still fuming that she wasn't even vetted for the Veep slot - calling the Biden pick a 'total diss'. Some thirty percent of her supporters insist they won't swing behind their party's man.
So what with that, and the polls showing he's only marginally ahead - Obama's got a lot of convincing to do. And in Denver this week, he's got four days, a whole lot of hoopla, and the speech of his life to make it happen.
The next four years might just depend on it.
