WASHINGTON (AFP) - After a lackluster debate, John McCain now has less than four weeks to turn the race for the White House around, as observers began to wonder aloud whether the Republican who once dubbed himself the comeback kid can win.
One day after McCain faced off in the second of three debates against Barack Obama, political observers said the exchange failed to up-end the front-runner status of his Democratic rival, as the contest ticks down to the November 4 vote.
presidential clashes -- to Obama.

The political terrain trod in the second of three campaign debates between John McCain and Barack Obama was so like the first that viewers could be excused for believing they'd seen and heard it all before.
Much as in the first debate, style tended to trump substance, while, so to speak, Rome burns.

By STEVEN R. HURST AP AP After forgoing character attacks during the second presidential debate, Republican John McCain sought Wednesday to sow doubt about