Alex Ogle, 21, went to Greendown School and Swindon College, before spending a gap year travelling the world and starting a BA in American Studies at the University of Sussex in Brighton. As part of his course he is spending a year in the US. He is in Pennsylvania where he reports on the run-up to the elections.

It's 6.45pm, and volunteers have been instructed to hand out the signs.

A crowd of 8,000 are waiting for Senator John Kerry, the Democratic challenger to President George W. Bush.

They have sat through speeches from congressmen, senators, celebrity Ted Danson, and musician Jon Bon Jovi.

Many have been standing in this same muddy field since midday, and the fact signs are being distributed sends a ripple through the audience.

"Women for Kerry", "Boilermakers want Change! in America", and "My Mom votes Democrat!" were among those being handed out. It is a made-for-TV spectacle.

Banners with alternative messages were confiscated by Secret Service agents at the entrance.

Kerry arrived on stage, waving, laughing, and pointing at random audience members as if they were long-lost friends. His speech was predictable like any soundbite you hear every day on the news the credibility of the president, the budget deficit, the handling of the Iraq war.

As the U2 song Beautiful Day boomed out of the speakers, the Senator walked around the front of the crowd, shaking hands, and dutifully accepting the flailing hands that reached to grab him.

As I shook his hand I asked if I could take a photo.

"Of course" he said as he took my camera, handed it to an agent and put his arm around me.

I adopt a fixed grin until I check myself.

If this guy wins, I think, he'll preside over the world's lone superpower he'll have no choice but to continue the Iraq war, to support Israel's occupation of Palestine, and continue, in my opinion, the completely erroneous 'war on terror'.

I switch facial expressions. You can see the thought process in my eyes.

Outside the rally there had been fights between Kerry supporters and a pro-Bush gathering.

Police had to break up a few scuffles, and a young Republican told me that they (Democrats) had thrown water on them.

The Bush supporters taunted those leaving the rally with chants and banners.

My favourite banner was one that read simply, "John Kerry Is French".

In the last two months I have seen many examples of bitterness and antagonism, giving charge to the oft-used description of America today, a 'polarised nation'.

In my first week a fight broke out at a sweaty house party as college kids discussed the relative merits of their parents' political leanings.

They were chased through the streets by police, ten minutes after the first bottle was thrown.

With only a week left, the campaigns have reached fever pitch. Already each candidate visits at least two states a day.

Daily opinions polls have Bush and Kerry deadlocked, but recent weeks speculation has arisen on the impact of young voters.

Former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Rev Al Sharpton told me after a democratic 'get out the vote' rally that the youth have rendered the modern polling system 'obsolete'.

By law, pollsters can only call people at home, and the three million newly registered, first-time voters, cannot be reached because, just like in England, they communicate with mobile phones.

The biggest fear for Democrats I have spoken to, is that if George Bush is re-elected the American people will have sanctioned the last four the immense tax cuts for the richest one per cent, a record budget deficit in American history, and two major wars, one of which is not looking to be completed any time soon.

It may well turn out to be the American youth that holds the swing vote.