John McCain, the Vietnam War hero who has doggedly championed the war in Iraq, told a roaring crowd of about 6,000 people in Miami on Friday that he would not stop battling for his country -- and the presidency.
The Republican nominee used the word ''fight'' at least 20 times in his speech. Relishing his position as the underdog, McCain was more animated than he has appeared in recent weeks on the campaign trail in Florida, and the pompom-shaking crowd was one of the loudest.
''What America needs now in this hour is a fighter, someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people,'' McCain said, standing in front of a ''VICTORY'' banner at the packed Florida International University Arena. ``I come from a long line of McCains who believed that to love America is to fight for her.''
McCain's visit to a heavily Republican corner of Miami-Dade was aimed at mobilizing Florida's largest county in the waning days of the race. Democratic nominee Barack Obama is slated to campaign in Miami on Tuesday, following appearances to promote the start of early voting on Monday in Tampa and Orlando.
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