The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Fairfield

Republican front-runner John McCain admitted on Sunday to nervousness about his chances on Super Tuesday, when almost half of the United States votes, but he was also thinking ahead to a general election battle against the Democratic nominee. Before Republican nominating contests in 21 states on Tuesday, McCain has a sizable lead in many of those states and could emerge as the presumptive Republican nominee. After an up-and-down year, a superstitious McCain could not help rapping his knuckles on the table in his campaign bus, for good luck. "I'm very nervous about it because, you know, I've seen this movie before," he told reporters. "My job is to keep our expectation levels down and frankly not raise expectations to a degree that we could suffer some setback." It has been a long road to the high ground for the Arizona senator, who at 71 would be the oldest person ever elected to a first presidential term.