THE DAY began in Detroit and ended over a thousand miles away in Miami another typical day for President Clinton in the countdown to polling day on November 5th.
It's not just signing autographs and glad-handing. There were two substantial speeches on foreign policy and on education.
In between, the President visited Detroit's Polish community of Hamtramck. The lunch with Mayor Bob Kozaren sounded like hard work.
It consisted of stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes, pierogies (again), kielbasa, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Maybe the varied diet (if that's the word) reflected the fact that Hamtramck's high school football team represents 11 nationalities, as the mayor proudly announced.
Detroit, with its large Eastern European ethnic mix, was a politically astute choice of city for the President to announce that he, wanted NATO enlarged by 1999, no ifs or buts and no veto by Russia. Through the Partnership for Peace (PFP) troops from "prospective new partners" such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania are serving alongside NATO forces in Bosnia, he pointed out.
Everyone got the message. Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania would be the first to get the nod. The President is proud of the PFP, which he proposed three years ago and now has more than two dozen members which carry out "an astonishing amount of co-operation and joint training" with NATO.
He did not mention that Ireland is not one of them but he gave Northern Ireland a passing reference as one of the world trouble spots where "those taking risks for peace and freedom know that the United States will stand to their side". (Applause.)
As it happens there were three staunch Fine Gael members in the large audience of politicians, academics and students in the Fisher Theatre.
They were Ms Mari Hurley from Dun Laoghaire and Mr Hugh Scully from Cork, both on the Fine Gael national executive, and Mr Kevin Conway of Young Fine Gael from Dublin.
They are working to get Congressman and Minority Whip, Mr David Bonior, of Michigan, re-elected and become possibly leader of the House of Representatives if the Democrats win a majority. Fine Gael is apparently "linked" to the Democratic Party thanks to Mr Peter Barry, according to Ms Hurley, and that is how the three of them have taken time off to get involved in US elections.
After rainy Michigan, sunny Florida beckoned and Air Force One headed south. First destination for the President was Miami Dade community college, the biggest in the US, where several thousand students gave him a great reception as he pushed his educational policies.
"This is Clinton country," bellowed Florida Governor, Mr Lawton Chiles. That remains to be seen. Florida has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Mr Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Mr Bob Dole, who has a luxury home in Miami's North Beach, was supposed to have Florida sewn up this time but instead he is in trouble. The polls show Mr Clinton one point ahead so this visit could swing Florida and its 25 electoral votes safely into the President's net.
After the students, the important business was fund-raising. In 1992, Mr Clinton caused resentment when he gave up on Florida and withdrew Democratic funds from there to boost his chances elsewhere. This time he promised to pump extra funds into the state to help the election of Democrats in Congressional races.
The President's appearance at a glitzy Biltmore Hotel dinner duly raised $2 million (£1.25 million). But as all through this tour had warned his supporters not to be complacent because of favourable polls.
Before he arrived at the Biltmore, there had been an angry debate there by Cuban protesters. Some believe the US embargo on Cuba is too harsh and others say: that the President's approach to the Helms-Burton law forbidding foreign companies to invest in former US properties in Cuba is not tough enough.
Before the night was out, the President had headed for Miami's Little Havana quarter and dined on Cuban specialities at the Versailles restaurant. At least the food was probably healthier than in Hamtramck, Detroit.