The new negative and "swift boat" type of ad reflects the change in McCain Campaign management to the hiring of three disciples of Karl Rove. The new negative and false fact campaign is not designed to provide information to voters , but to appeal to their prejudices and lack of information.

Gunther Steinberg, Portola Valley CA, USA

Regarding the dollar bill comment by Senator Obama, perhaps your readership would be interested in viewing this Senator McCain campaign video on YouTube posted June 27th.

This election, IMHO, is too important to allow the same Rovian Playbook to succeed.

Dari, Washington, DC, USA

mr mccain, who loved bush's style of running the states. (at least thats what his website said when his campaign began) he has changed that, since bush's ratings are in the toilet.i don't want a man that will change his thoughts on issues just to get elected or that preaches hes better at war.

deborrah, melbourne, USA

It has been said that the US Election is too important to the rest of the world to be left to Americans. Had I a vote I would give it to John McCain as I have faith in his character, skills and experience. I do not trust Obama and he seems much more arrogant even than GWB.

Garth Wiseman, london, england

"— that he is an arrogant, out-of-touch elitist who is more interested in public adulation than the concerns of voters."

Welcome to the mainstream.

Jez W, Leeds,

Of course Obama will use the race card, and of course McCain will be wrong footed by it. Obama is just another politician on the make - another pretty boy with a good turn of phrase, just like Tony Blair, and, like Blair, devoid of any policy in which he truly believes.

Stephen Rothbart, Prague, Czech Republic

America has a history of electing hopeless leaders who can't remember anything beyond their name and that only after 11.00am. Is it not time to change?

David, Athens, Greece

If Americans are going to elect the "Leader of the Free World" for us, shouldn't they elect someone who can find the Canada on a map? Shouldn't they elect someone who knows Iran borders neither Syria nor Israel? Someone who knows Shia, from Sunni and Sunni-Wahhabi?

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

I live 60 miles north of the US border. The US media is failing to cover McCain's failing memory. I suppose they fear age discrimination, but it would be a tragedy (maybe treason) if their concealment caused US voters to innocently elect a man with early Alzheimers. Voters need to know the truth.

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

Please take our Prime Minister Gordon Brown as Obama's running mate, No Please?

sean, bedford, beds

During 3 separate speeches Obama brings up race. He did the same thing against Clinton. McCain has not only steered clear of race, but has reprimanded others for negative remarks.

NOW - Obama supporters attack McCain when your man is using race like he did vs Clinton - brillant.

Hotspur, ATL, USA

All this time I have been thinking that the McCain campaign are sleepwalking through to this election! I am not voting for either candidate, would prefer Bloomberg of NY city, however McCain just made it far more interesting. Wake up folks!! Obama plays the race card every chance he gets.

Josie, Seattle, USA

An ad brought to us by the same people who sold us the phoney WMD story about Iraq. As President Bush said so well, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice.......won't get fooled again."

Ray Mercier, Hillsboro, NH, USA

It's both hilarious and ironic that with all the obese Americans, and all the junk we eat, that the McCain campaign thinks Obama's healthy diet and exercise, not to mention drinking organic iced tea, is elitist. Hell, I drink that same iced tea myself. Talk about about of touch.

Ken, Portland, oregon

It's obvious that Sen McCain's campaign is focusing on winning the presidency by fabricating all the dirt they can on Sen Obama. Anyone who wants to, can see that McCain is not competent to be a President. Americans want truth. He has no integrity to tell the truth and his entire campaign is a lie.

Dennis, Bedford, USA

I think McCain is personally better than this and is not a little ashamed that he has to work with the crass Republican smear machine - it is no wonder he is such an awkward campaigner.

GabrielCase, Lisburn,

I don't believe Obama has an energy program. Telling automakers to fix it by making tiny vehicles is not an energy program. In the same way, raising taxes is not an economic plan and surrender is not foreign policy. Obama's sking pigmintation doesn't bother me at all. It's the policies, stupid!

Larry, Atlanta, US

Obama used race sensitivities over race to defeat Hillary Clinton?

Where is the basis for this comment? This is completely false

Coque, Orlando, FL, USA

McCain must be desperate perhaps because he has nothing to offer other than the same old American fear-driven jingoism (a word that probably is not in the vocabulary of most Americans). The real joke is how Americans chose their presidents. No wonder their ountry is in such a mess.

Carlos Homa , Edmonton, Canada

It's time to focus on issues. When can the country finally get a republican leader who is capable of winning based his (or her) leadership skills, rather than ability to lower the discussion into the sewers.

It is amusing to watch Obama swat the McCain fly that buzzes around Obama.
Obama wins.

Mike, Cincinnati, USA

I'm not sure how Obama is playing the race card by pointing out that he's black, or that his name's different, or that he looks different. I haven't heard him race-baiting McCain, i.e. calling him whitey or honky; or inferring that McCain's automatically privileged or a supremacist.

Brian, San Francisco, USA

I think the new McCain ad is really funny actually. I think that the McCain people really did find the right way to attack Obama and it isn't pretty.

I don't like either of these candidates, and it would seem to me the the US could do better. I would have loved to see Bloomberg as the president.

Lynnzy, New york, USA

America is a polarized nation, seemingly intentionally divided by political pragmatists who appeal to an insular people's fears and meanest feelings. Ever since Machiavelli pragmatism has trumped virtue. I hope Obama wins this election in the hope that something more inspiring than sleaze prevails.

Mike Robinson, Victoria, Canada