Nashville is gearing up for Tuesday's presidential debate, the first ever held in Tennessee.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential nominee, was to arrive in Nashville Monday evening, a day before he faces Democratic nominee Barack Obama in the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University, The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal reported.

Obama will arrive in the Volunteer State Tuesday. The Illinois senator has been preparing and campaigning in North Carolina ahead of the debate, the newspaper said.

The debate will be moderated by NBC newsman Tom Brokaw. In the audience will be several hundred observers. The town-hall forum calls for questions for the candidates from the audience.

I think the debate is a big thing for Nashville; it's a big thing for Tennessee, said Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen. There are going to be 3,000 reporters here and I think it will showcase Nashville and Tennessee in a very positive way.

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