Aboard the Election Express

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) – CBS anchor Bob Schieffer stepped out from behind the anchor desk and took the stage Sunday evening at the legendary Grand Ole Opry.

Schieffer pulled his cowboy hat off and tossed it aside before belting out two tunes. He shared the stage that night with Trisha Yearwood and Brad Paisley, among others.

Schieffer told the audience he was "not going to feel the pressure I feel tonight" when he moderates the third and final presidential debate next week in New York.

The CBS anchor was participating in the broadcast to celebrate Belmont University, the host of the second presidential debate on Tuesday.

AUDIO SLIDESHOW

ST LOUIS Missouri (CNN) - Political Editor Mark Preston takes us
behind the scenes at the St Louis Vice Presidential debate.

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OXFORD, Mississippi (CNN) — Tonight’s presidential debate was supposed to focus on “foreign policy and national security.” But given the gravity of the economic crisis, Barack Obama and John McCain spent nearly 40 minutes talking about how to fix it. Granted, national security also encompasses global international security. Still, it leaves an open question: will “foreign policy and national security” be discussed in the third presidential debate? The final debate was to center on “domestic and economic policy.”

CNN's Mark Preston at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Obama and McCain are vying for the support of the tens of millions of race car enthusiasts – fans that would fill the stands of venues such as the hallowed grounds at Indy. Credit: CNN’s Alec Miran.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The political and sporting worlds collided Friday afternoon when CNN's sister publication, Sports Illustrated, reported that Barack Obama is considering sponsoring a car in a NASCAR race next month.

Oh, but not any NASCAR event. Obama's name could whiz by at speeds of 150 to 200 mph before 100,000 or more fans at Pocono Raceway in the electoral rich state of Pennsylvania (21 votes). You might remember that Obama lost Pennsylvania to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, a defeat that was seen as another example of his problem with attracting support from so-called blue-collar, white voters.

Obama has vowed to run a 50-state campaign with a specific emphasis on states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and Indiana. It is fair to say that these three states have a healthy share of white, blue-collar NASCAR and Indy Racing fans.

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