In Washington
Senator John McCain's fans were delighted by his performance in the debate on Wednesday (Thursday Singapore time).
This is vintage McCain, they say - clear and commanding.
At last he is on the attack, gunning for his rival's weak points and not lacking in passion in denouncing them either.
The troubling question: But is it too late?
He seems pleased enough.
Source: REUTERS
People tune in outdoors in Hollywood.
Source: AFP
For the last few weeks, Mr McCain has been fielding calls to get tough and has hardened his message in response - reinventing himself once more.
At the beginning of his campaign, he was the man who stood for victory in Iraq above all. But even then, that slogan had not sold very well.
So he set himself up as the leader you could believe in - just as rival Barack Obama cleared the primary hurdle. But that approach never quite took off.
Critics said the issue for voters was whether Mr Obama was the leader they could believe in - given his newness on national stage.
So Mr McCain saw promise in taking Mr Obama on on his own turf.
So while Mr Obama sold the "change you need", Mr McCain said he was the guy to deliver the change.
After all, he was the original maverick, the real deal who had already been working to bring change to Washington.
Unfortunately, the economic tsunami broke just as the McCain-Palin maverick message was finding takers. Mr McCain was holding the wrong flag yet again - and his ratings took a tumble.
Just this week, he did find his voice as the man who will fight for Americans. And this is where he spoke from today, to good effect.
He pointed out how Mr Obama broke his promise - forsaking public funds for his campaign after vowing to follow Mr McCain in using them.
He raised a question about William Ayers links to Mr Obama. He said emphatically he was not Bush II.
A good few months after conservative analysts - Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove and others - had been shouting themselves hoarse that Mr McCain should be doing just that.
In the 19 days that remain, is the Vietnam vet facing Mission Impossible?
As the bard said, long ago: There is tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows...