Down and dirty in Tennessee: the end of evolution?

According to a top geneticist, Steve Jones at UCL, evolution is nearly over or has even stopped. But over in the US, it appears that the candidates have actually regressed as the campaign has turned ugly

The Republican nominee, John McCain, predicted back in the summer that the general election would be much dirtier than the battle for the Democrat nomination between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And he’s right. Up against the ropes, after taking a small lead in the polls post convention, McCain has gone on record as saying that the gloves will come off for tonight’s encounter in the second presidential debate.

According to the BBC:

“The US presidential candidates have exchanged barbs as they prepare for a crucial debate on Tuesday evening.

Barack Obama accused John McCain of “smear tactics” and said he was not paying enough attention to the economic crisis that has been gripping the US.

John McCain said Mr Obama was “lying” about his ties to the home loan industry and asked what his rival had ever accomplished in government.
The campaign tone has turned nasty as polls show Mr Obama widening his lead.”

It now looks like the election is Obama’s to lose and the debate promises to be fiercely contested. With just four weeks until polling day it looks like negative campaigning will dominate the run in, despite both candidates having promised in the past that they would fight clean.