Americans voted yesterday in one of the tightest presidential elections in decades after a long and often bitter campaign between Republican President George W. Bush and his Democratic rival Senator John Kerry.
After Bush and Kerry ended a frenzied final day of campaigning, during which their paths crossed at Milwaukee airport, the traditional first votes were cast in the New Hampshire hamlet of Dixville Notch just after midnight.
Some 156 million Americans were registered to vote as the first polling centers opened at 6am in the East and then across the rest of the country.
Opinion polls showed the race in a virtual dead heat. Five surveys gave Bush a statistically insignificant lead of one or two points while Fox News showed Kerry leading by two points and the American Research Group had a 48-48 percent tie.
But a CBS News poll confirmed earlier findings by the Gallup organization that Bush's support over the Massachusetts senator appeared to erode in the waning days of the campaign on his signature issue of national security.
The CBS survey, completed after the broadcast of a message from al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden on Friday, showed Bush's lead on who could best guard against terrorism dropping from 70 to 62 percent to 64 to 62 percent over the weekend.
A large turnout was forecast with Iraq and the war on terror dominating the campaign and the rest of the world also anxiously awaiting the outcome.
With the election so tight, fears were widespread that it could end up like the debacle in 2000, when a disputed recount in the state of Florida had to be settled by the US Supreme Court five weeks later.
With neither candidate able to build a decisive lead this year, the Republican and Democratic parties have each prepared 1 million volunteers to mobilize voters and thousands of lawyers for possible legal battles over contested results.
Bush went to six states and Kerry four on Monday as they battled for the hearts and minds of the undecided voters expected to decide the next occupant of the White House.
The campaign teams crossed paths at Milwaukee airport in Wisconsin. Kerry, who was arriving for a rally that went ahead in pouring rain, had to wait while Bush left on Air Force One.
"This is the choice, this is the moment of accountability for America, and it is the moment that the world is watching what you do," said Kerry, who has vowed to increase international involvement in Iraq and end tax cuts for America's wealthiest earners.
Bush's presidency was trans-formed by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and he has styled himself as the "war president." But the March 2003 invasion of Iraq has split the US and caused friction with its allies.
The 58-year-old president touted himself as tougher than Kerry on terrorism, closer to voters on loaded issues like abortion and gay marriage, and warned that Kerry would raise the taxes that Bush dramatically cut.
Bush and Kerry issued their final urgings to voters yesterday from the pages of the nationally distributed USA Today newspaper.
In twin commentaries, both titled "Why you should vote for me today," both candidates repeated their mantras and took parting shots at each others' perceived failings.
Hundreds of millions of campaign dollars and months of gloves-off TV attack ads have failed to reward either candidate with a breakout lead.
The verdict appeared to hinge on the result in Florida, where tens of thousands of people have queued to vote in advance, and a handful of northern states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.
USA Today said yesterday that the best way to avoid another electoral nightmare was "to make sure the election is fair." The New York Times urged Americans to vote and restore the US electoral system the respect it has lost.
The Washington Post pondered on post-electoral scenarios, urging Bush to patch up international relations if re-elected and Kerry not to retreat from US commitments to hold elections and defeat extremist movements in Iraq.
Whoever wins faces the enormous challenge of uniting a bitterly partisan and suspicious electorate, as well as mending diplomatic rifts caused by the invasion of Iraq.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned