by Jim Tankersley
SALEM, N.H. – Democrats aren’t the only ones packing New Hampshire gymnasiums.
John McCain drew an estimated 1,000 people – and a stifling crush of international news media – here today, further evidence that the senator’s political career could be boomeranging toward a New Hampshire victory that seemed unthinkable a few months ago.
A relaxed McCain, whom polls this morning showed widening his lead on rival Mitt Romney in the state, stressed national security and fiscal discipline in an hour-long town meeting. He also took a dozen questions from the crowd, including several from voters who said they were independent and undecided – and curious about McCain’s plans to cut the federal budget deficit and offset the costs of the Iraq war.
A gauntlet of supporters chanted “Mac is back! Mac is back!” as McCain walked off his Straight Talk Express bus and into the rally.
En route to Salem from Nashua, McCain held one of the back-of-the-bus question-and-answer sessions that have long been the hallmark of his presidential campaigns (now and in 2000). This particular session included several colorful McCain moments and candid insights, including McCain:
* Repeating his prediction that he will win New Hampshire on Tuesday.
* Bemoaning that Rep. Ron Paul, whose opposition to the Iraq war and criticism of U.S. monetary police set him at odds with the five other Republicans in last night’s televised debate, wasn’t invited to Fox News’ debate today: “I’m going to miss him.”* Opining that “change” is as powerful a theme in the GOP primaries as it is in the Democrats’, because the Republican base is so dispirited.
* Saying that his campaign is primarily targeting an unusually large number of undecided Republicans before Tuesday, followed by independents, and that his fund-raising is coming in “very well” after nearly going dry this summer.
* Admitting he enjoyed the Republican-Democratic candidate mingling on stage between last night’s debates – and that the candidates just made “small talk” across party lines.
* Responding to a question about the diversity difference between the two candidate fields on display last night – six white male Republicans versus a Democratic quartet that included a woman, an African American and a Latino – by saying Republican leaders “haven’t done as good a job as we need to do” recruiting minority candidates.
* Attributing a relatively sedate (in his estimation) debate performance last night to a caffeine cut-off: “You notice that I wasn’t so wired last night?” he said. “It’s because I didn’t have any coffee from noon on.”
———————————————————————————————
Have questions about what’s happening on the ground in New Hampshire, or anything else related to race for the White House or Election 2008? On Monday, we’ll host a live video chat at 12:30 pm central time from Manchester, N.H. with Tribune journalists who are covering the campaign.
E-mail your questions to us and we’ll answer as many as time allows.
More Top Picks Gigabyte Gaming A16 Review