McCain Ditches Town Halls for Larger Crowds

Obama reprises out-of-touch criticism of McCain, who hits back on economics

(NEWSER) - Both presidential candidates were on the trail today in Florida, trading jabs from opposite ends of the state, the Miami Herald reports. Barack Obama spoke about the economy in Jacksonville, in the north, the same city where John McCain said the “fundamentals of the economy are strong.” McCain dismissed his poor poll numbers in Tampa, saying, “we never give up, we never quit.” More»

Party faithful split on politics but united in distrust

(NEWSER) - Vastly different crowds appear at the rallies of the candidates who started their campaigns calling for bipartisan unity, a roving New York Times reporter finds. Republican rallygoers shout to a country-pop soundtrack; the Democratic faithful dance to folk and Motown. Flag pins, pompoms, and patriotic songs define GOP gatherings, while Dems favor buttons and the word "change." More»

McCain's scrupulous eschewing of racial issue hasn't halted accusations

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's campaign has been unjustly accusing John McCain of appealing to racial prejudice, Charles Krauthammer argues in the Washington Post. McCain is taking the flak for what a few "agitated yahoos" shout at his rallies, he writes—a guilt by association that Obama seems to have escaped despite his ties to controversial figures such as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. More»

(NEWSER) - It's been hard to miss the spate of reports about ugly anti-Obama incidents at McCain/Palin events—a crowd member calling him a “terrorist,” for instance. The media is now playing a game of "find a freak" at GOP rallies and grossly distorting the notion of genuine harm coming Obama's way, writes Sean Collins in Spiked. That these fears have gained traction underscores just how alienated Democrats have become from white, working-class voters. More»

GOP candidate compares Obama to Herbert Hoover on economy

(NEWSER) - John McCain painted a dismal picture of the economy today at a rally in Virginia, comparing Barack Obama’s solutions to Herbert Hoover’s while declaring himself the right candidate to fix the mess, the Virginian-Pilot reports. McCain also raised the specter of his flailing campaign in an effort to invigorate voters, warning that Barack Obama is “measuring the drapes” at the White House. More»