Kabul: There are many firsts in Afghanistan's Presidential elections. TV Commercials and even a US styled live Presidential debate. In one, President Karzai is attacked by two main contenders on his deals with warlords and corruption in his government.
President Karzai's image has changed since he was voted to power in Afghanistan's first Presidential election in history in 2004.
He still has a wide lead 44% ahead in a US survey, but probably will not win 50% majority, which means a runoff with the second placed.
Karzai's alliances with regional powerbrokers and his running mates' ethnicities have placed him in a strong position.
A majority of his appeal comes through being Pashtun. He has chosen his vice presidential running mates carefully, though one of them is heavily condemned nationally and worldwide.
If he faces a runoff that would probably be with his former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. Abdullah with his command of English can hope to rival Hamid Karzai on the international scene. He also served as a close adviser to the charismatic Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massood in the battle against the Soviets and the Taliban. Perfect credentials for Afghan's President and he has been drawing in the crowds.
Abdullah is half Tajik half Pashtun. Twenty six per cent of those polled in mid July said they would vote for Abdullah.
With three dozen candidates in the race, the best case scenario for President Karzai's opponents is that he will not get the 50% required to win.
Being half Pashtun and half Tajik he could appeal to the 65 % of those communities in the country and offset the President's perceived advantage in the southern Pashtun heartland.