The Wall Street Journal's Elizabeth Holmes reports on John McCain's rally in Virginia Beach today:

John McCain delivered a somber speech at a large rally here today, at once seemingly describing both the state of the economy and the state of the race.

"We have to act immediately. We have to change direction now. And we have to fight," he said, then veering off script to add: "I know how to do that."

Joined by running mate Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee vowed to spend the last three weeks of the general election campaign fighting his way back.

"I've been fighting for this country since I was seventeen years old, and I have the scars to prove it. If you elect me president, I will fight to take America in a new direction from my first day in office until my last," he said to applause. "I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it." ...

McCain said some version of the word "fight" at least 19 times. He ended with the same battle cry he used in his nomination speech at the Republican National Convention last month, as well as his speech at the 2004 GOP convention.

"Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight," he said. "Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what's right for America."

He painted an optimistic picture of the grim polling numbers, asserting that his campaign was down by six points when an average of national polls show him trailing by double digits.

Overall, the language was much darker than McCain speeches in the past. "I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength. I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will. I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again," he said.

As the crowd of more than 15,000 erupted in applause, McCain said, "I'm an American. And I choose to fight."

Full remarks after the jump.

Three weeks from now, you will choose a new President. Choose well. There is much at stake.

These are hard times. Our economy is in crisis. Financial markets are collapsing. Credit is drying up. Your savings are in danger. Your retirement is at risk. Jobs are disappearing. The cost of health care, your children's college, gasoline and groceries are rising all the time with no end in sight. While your most important asset - your home - is losing value every day.

Americans are fighting in two wars. We face many enemies in this dangerous world, and they are waiting to see if our current troubles will permanently weaken us.

The next President won't have time to get used to the office. He won't have the luxury of studying up on the issues before he acts. He will have to act immediately. And to do that, he will need experience, courage, judgment and a bold plan of action to take this country in a new direction. We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change. The hour is late; our troubles are getting worse; our enemies watch. We have to act immediately. We have to change direction now. We have to fight.

I've been fighting for this country since I was seventeen years old, and I have the scars to prove it. If I'm elected President, I will fight to take America in a new direction from my first day in office until my last. I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it.

I'm not going to spend $700 billion dollars of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers who got us into this mess. I'm going to make sure we take care of the people who were devastated by the excesses of Wall Street and Washington. I'm going to spend a lot of that money to bring relief to you, and I'm not going to wait sixty days to start doing it.

I have a plan to protect the value of your home and get it rising again by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them so if your neighbor defaults he doesn't bring down the value of your house with him.

I have a plan to let retirees and people nearing retirement keep their money in their retirement accounts longer so they can rebuild their savings.

I have a plan to rebuild the retirement savings of every worker.