With nothing left to do except wait for the returns, President Clinton left voters with one message Monday: Compare the records of Democrats and Republicans instead of casting angry ballots.
Clinton swept through a final day of cross-country campaigning, bringing voters in four Senate races his Election Eve message that Democrats have produced an economic revival while Republicans have battled them with obstruction and pessimism.At his last appearance, which came in Wilmington, Del., complete with fireworks and fanfare, the president urged voters to look at the accomplishments of the Democrats and compare them with the roadblocks put up by the GOP.
"That's how you get the change you want, not by being mad," he said.
In a series of radio interviews Tuesday morning, he told voters to cast their ballots "for people who will build the country, not just cast blame."
"It is right to be motivated by hope," he said.
Vice President Al Gore told Cable News Network Tuesday he believes the predictions about a Republican sweep "will turn out to be wrong" and said that he had found momentum building for the Democrats while out on the campaign trail over the last few weeks.
The Republicans, however, also predicted victory.
"We will win," said Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who stands to become speaker of the House should the GOP take control of that chamber.
The president said he had voted early by absentee ballot in Arkansas for Democratic Gov. Jim Guy Tucker.
Joined by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for his last day of campaigning Monday, Clinton also made appearances in Minneapolis and Flint, Mich.
Throughout the day, Clinton repeated his message aimed at trying to get voters to think through their election choices, and scoffed at what he called the Republicans' "politics of fear."
"Their great hope is that everybody wakes up mad," Clinton, addressing a rally at the University of Michigan, said of Republicans who appeared to be ready to benefit from the nationwide sense of public anger with government and politicians.
In the past week, Clinton campaigned in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, New York, Iowa, Minnesota, California, Washington state and Delaware.
Clinton was waiting out the returns in the White House, watching television and getting reports from his pollsters and supporters around the country.
He also was being briefed on his Asian summit swing which begins on Friday.