With Super Tuesday just one day away, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain are making last-minute appeals to voters, while Vice President Al Gore is looking to land the final knockout punch to the fading campaign of former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley.

One-third of the electorate will go to the polls on Tuesday, and pundits believe it may be the most important day yet in an already volatile campaign season.

On the GOP side, Bush will be trying to use the momentum created by several primary victories last week, including wins in Virginia and North Dakota.

“I think everyone wakes up every Wednesday and is surprised because it has been so close in the Republican race. It has really been a back-and-forth battle,” said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.

Bystrom said the wide range of states handing out delegates Tuesday will demonstrate where McCain and Bush are strong geographically.

“Bush will do well in the South, and McCain will score well in the New England states,” she said. “The West is up for grabs.”

Brendan Cary, member of Students for Bush, said Bush will fare well in the Super Tuesday contests because there will be fewer “open” primaries, which allow McCain demographics of independents and Democrats to vote in Republican primaries.

Many political experts have said the key race for McCain and Bush will be the California primary, which will allow all voters to choose from a ballot including all candidates, regardless of party. However, only votes from registered party members will decide how their respective delegates will be divided up.

In California, 162 delegates are up for grabs.

“We will win some, and we may lose some,” said Cary, sophomore in mechanical engineering. “The important thing is that the candidates focus on ideas instead of attacking each other.”

Negative advertising has plagued the GOP race so far, but Cary said voters will still make their decisions based on issues, not mudslinging.

“[Who will win will] depend on what candidate gets their ideas out to the public the best. People don’t like when the candidates attack each other,” he said.

Cary said he thought McCain’s criticism of Bush’s speech at Bob Jones University would hurt the senator in the contest.

However, Bystrom said she sees the amount of negative campaigning hurting the Republican party as a whole, while the less-caustic tenor across the aisle will help Democrats in November.

“It appears that Gore and Bradley are trying to run a more civil race,” she said.

But the phrase “Gore and Bradley” might soon just be “Gore.”

“I think that Super Tuesday is make or break for Bradley,” said John Klein, member of Students for Bradley. “I’d say Tuesday is looking to be more and more of a long shot. The odds are stacked against him. It’s not impossible, but it’s not as likely.”

Andy Tofilon, member of Cyclones for Gore, said his candidate will emerge as the only remaining Democratic candidate after the Super Tuesday dust settles.

“I think he will have a strong showing and wrap up the nomination,” said Tofilon, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication.