John McCain Sounds like a Front-Runner in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM - John McCain arrived thirty minutes late for his campaign appearance in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon. The eight-hundred voters waiting didn't seem to mind. They cheered as the Republican presidential frontrunner talked about fighting to win in Iraq, stimulating the American economy, and inspiring Americans "to serve causes greater than their own self-interest."

McCain's visit came in advance of Alabama's Feb. 5 presidential primary on Super Tuesday. Recent polls show him leading the Republican primary in the state (Dean, 2008, Jan. 31).

McCain spent most of his speech at Birmingham's Downtown Sheraton talking about the Iraq war and terrorism. The war, he said, was an example of the nation pursuing a greater cause. "America has been a beacon of hope and freedom, and will continue to be one," he said.

McCain described "the threat of radical Islam extremists" as the top threat facing the world today. He rejected calls from Democrats who advocate withdrawal from Iraq. "Al-Qaeda is on the run, but they are not defeated," he said.

McCain praised the work of Gen. David Petraeus, the Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. He added that the general was "the only one who should decided when to withdraw." McCain also promised to pursue Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. "If I have to follow him to the gates of Hell, I will get Osama bin Laden," he said.

McCain offered a five-point plan for the nation's stagnant economy, starting with passing a stimulus package to get past the immediate problems. Once in office, he said he would make President Bush's tax cuts permanent, change the Alternative Minimum Tax that catches many middle-income voters, reduce the corporate tax rate, and expand junior college training programs.

McCain also returned to one of his pet issues, eliminating "pork-barrel earmarks" from the federal budget. He cited two projects that he considered wasteful - the infamous $23 million bridge in Alaska to an island inhabited by 50 people and a $3 million project to study the DNA of bears. "I don't know if it was a paternity issue," he added.

McCain noted that he sometimes compared the excessive spending by Congress to the behavior of "a drunken sailor." He stopped making that reference, he said, after receiving an e-mail that read, "As a former drunken sailor, I resent being compared to a member of Congress."

McCain's estimated crowd of 800 adults and children was smaller than those of other candidates visiting Birmingham recently (Chandler, 2008). Republican opponent Mike Huckabee drew and overflow crowd of 2,200 a week earlier (Wilstach, 2008), and his crowd paled compared to the 11,000 who turned out for Barack Obama last Sunday (Dean, 2008, Jan. 28).

Still, he was greeted warmly by voters, many of whom came with homemade signs. A group of Auburn University graduates sported signs reading, "War Eagle McCain," while several Vietnam veterans in the audience carried signs reading "Viet-Vets McCain." These latter were adorned with hand-drawn, green-red-and-yellow striped representations of the military's Vietnam Service Ribbon.

McCain's tardiness may have contributed to the smaller crowd. The candidate was an hour behind schedule following an earlier appearance in Nashville. He made up 30 minutes by cutting short a meeting with local officials, but still didn't make it on stage until 2 p.m. - well past his scheduled for 1:30 starting time.

Several dignitaries joined him on stage, including Congressman Spencer Bachus, Alabama Attorney General Troy King, and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Bachus introduced the candidate's wife, Cindy McCain. She introduced her husband, saying, "This isn't so much about my husband, although we want him to win. It's about our country."

McCain then introduced his daughter, Megan, a student at Columbia University. "Anybody who has an opening for an art history major, please see me afterwards," he added.

The crowd seemed to be a mixture of die-hard supporters, latecomers to a front-runner's campaign, and some undecided voters. One Republican admitted that he only recently joined McCain's "Mac Pack," but now saw him as the probable Republican nominee. That attitude mirrors a nationwide trend of Republicans who initially opposed the Senator but are now re-thinking their position toward a McCain candidacy (Kirkpatrick, 2008).

One woman in the crowd described herself as a "Dixiecrat" - a registered Democrat who often voted for Republicans. Alabama law allows her to choose a party's primary on election day. She said she was torn between voting for Barack Obama because she "wanted to see Hillary [Clinton] cry again" or voting for McCain.

Another woman, a self-identified Republican, expressed concerned about the a lack of interest and "lackadaisical" attitude shown toward Republican candidates. "This man was coming to town, and I decided I was going to come hear what he has to say," she said.

In a press conference following the speech, McCain was asked whether he was "enough of a Republican" to win the office. McCain cited his recent victory in Florida and his growing number of endorsements from party leaders. And, citing recent surveys, he added, "I can unite the party, and I'm the most electable by far."

References

Chandler, Kim (2008, Feb. 1). State catches eye of presidential campaigns. Birmingham News, 5C.
Dean, Charles J. (2008, Jan. 28). Obama says he, voters can change America. Birmingham News, 1A, 3A.
Dean, Charles J. (2008, Jan. 31). Polls shows more blacks could be backing Obama. Birmingham News, 1A, 6A.
Kirkpatrick, David D. (2008, Feb. 1). As McCain wins, critics on right look again. New York Times, A1, A16.
Wilstach, Nancy (2008, Jan. 27). Overflow crowd backs Huckabee tax proposal. Birmingham News, 8A.