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Facing a Wipeout, McCain Tones It Down

GOP nominee reverts to 'happy warrior' of the primary

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 14, 2008 11:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Down in the polls and facing brutal criticism from his own party, John McCain is returning to an old persona: the "happy warrior" that won the GOP primary. Tempering attacks that have proven counterproductive, McCain presented himself as a prepared, tested leader who could bring forceful leadership to the White House, writes Elisabeth Bumiller in the New York Times.

As polls show the Illinois senator running away with the election, McCain is hoping that he can recapture the underdog status that he rode to victory in the spring: he insisted at one rally that "Mr. Obama is measuring the drapes." But McCain's new tone may be little more than an experiment; after giving several toned-down stump speeches, he once again criticized Obama's character during a CNN interview yesterday.

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John McCain shakes hands with a supporter at a rally at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Oct. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

John McCain gestures to the crowd as he is being introduced at a rally at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Oct. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Sherry Deal and her husband Clarence Deal of Wilmington, N.C., cheer for John McCain as he speaks at Cape Fear Community College, Monday, Oct. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Logan Wallace)

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This race is not being moved by television advertising. It's just adding to the fog of information out there. Obama's huge spending makes McCain have to scream even louder to get his message heard. - Ken Goldstein

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Facing a Wipeout, McCain Tones It Down