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McCain hits 7 states in whirlwind bid for votes
Joe Murphy, Political Editor03.11.08
JOHN McCAIN squeezed extra dates into a frantic final dash for votes.
In a defiant last stand, the 72-year-old former war hero was planning to continue campaigning into tomorrow's election day.
Today he flew to seven cities in seven key states in a bid to cut a seven-point poll deficit and rescue his bid for the US presidency.
Showing remarkable energy and resilience, Mr McCain began with a midnight rally in Miami where he said: “The pundits have written us off, just like they've done before, and my opponent is measuring the drapes in the White House.
“They may not know it, but the Mac is Back! And we're going to win this election!” He went: “I'm an American. And I choose to fight”
After Florida, the former US navy pilot was jetting to Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona. His campaign HQ said he would hold an extra rally in Colorado and perhaps New Mexico tomorrow, although details were not confirmed.
Frontrunner Barack Obama was increasingly confident, however, as he swept through three battleground states won by George Bush four years ago, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.
The Illinois senator, who has repeatedly warned his supporters against complacency, dropped his guard at a rally with rock star Bruce Springsteen attended by 80,000 people.
“The last couple of days, I've been just feeling good,” he told the ecstatic crowd. “The crowds seem to grow and everybody's got a smile on their face. You start thinking that maybe we might be able to win an election on 4 November.”
When rain dampened the rally, he again abandoned his usual caution. “It's okay, we've been through an eight-year storm . . . Sunshine is on its way.”
Both campaigns were running massive get-out-the-vote operations in over a dozen key states, using canvassers, automated phone calls and millions of pounds of TV advertising.
The cost of the campaign was set to hit a record $1 billion — about $8 for every vote cast.
There was no evidence of the polls narrowing today, despite Republican claims they were catching up. A USA Today/Gallup poll found Mr Obama ahead by 11 points, 53-42 percent.
The RealClearPolitics poll average had Mr Obama on 50.7 per cent and Mr McCain on 44.3 — virtually unchanged since the banking crisis enabled Mr Obama to open up a clear lead.
Unless the state-by-state polls prove wildly wrong, Mr Obama is on course to exceed the victory threshold of 270 electoral votes with ease.
“There's no doubt that we've got an uphill battle,” said Republican political director Rich Beeson. “We still have a lot of voters that we can and will turn out.”
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said they were targeting Republican states such as Virginia, Colorado and Nevada for insurance.
“We did not want to wake up on the morning of 4 November waiting for one state. We wanted a lot of different ways to win this election,” he said.
The Republicans put out adverts highlighting Mr Obama's friendship with radical preacher Jeremiah Wright, quoted as saying “God damn America”.
Mr Obama responded to the revelation that an aunt of his is living illegally in the US, by saying he sympathised with her but the law should be applied.
Reader views (10)
Well in a couple of hours I'll be voting on my way to work and it will not be for John McCain. He has nothing to offer this country and his choice of the truly ghastly Sarah Palin, as his running mate, doomed his campaign. Tonight, Barack Obama will have a landslide victory from the American public who are screaming out for real change.
- Robert Collins, Philadelphia, USA
this american ex-pat in holland hopes the gop won't try any sneaky business tomorrow & that it's a smooth victory for the man best qualified for the job.
- Jeff, amsterdam,holland
Mr. James, with all due respect, I hope that the rest of the world has higher hopes for out next president than the ability to string two sentences together. I am voting for Barack Obama for many reasons, however, one of the most important being that I believe he has the capability to fuel a movement of tolerance, change, hope, and respect. I hope this respect and open mindedness will help repair our relations with other countries....and hopefully open the eyes of so many Americans who think white, Christian, US citizens are the center of the world- as we surely are not. I love my country, but I also love yours, and I only ask that you too hold out some hope for America and the change we need. With respect, thank you.
- Ej, Boston, MA, USA
Heaven help the world if Obama gets elected.
- Vince London, West London
Obamaaaaaaa for sure.wanna bet?
- Jaberwokie3, switzerland
Flo, your bias is showing. There is as much, if not more coming from the Democrats (or haven't you been paying attention to the non-stop barrage of silliness being thrown at Sarah Palin from the very moment she was announced. Accusations coming in one after another, none of which will be resolved until after the election, too late to clear her name.
If that isn't dirty politics, please tell me what is?
Not everyone in the USA wants a socialist taking their country down the tubes as it has everywhere else it has been experimented with.
- Rogan, Irving
The least the rest of the world can hope for is that the next President of the USA is capable of stringing two sentences together.
- Nick James, London
I feel the wind of change!
For the record, Obama is not being complacent.
I guess we will see who gets the last laugh, come Nov 4.
- L, London
Mr Obama, best not to count your chickens too early.
- Doug Watt, london e14
There is one thing I most hate about US elections, and that is all the negative advertising.
The sheer volume coming from the Republicans, says a lot ...
- Flo, London, UK
