John McCain arrived in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday to get ready for his acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention, but delegates are eager for him to get back out on the road and do what he does best — talk directly to voters about economic and national security issues.
“The most important question in any race is whether or not the candidate understands the issues that are important to American voters,” said Kevin Madden, who served as communications director for Republican Mitt Romney’s presidential bid.
“If McCain does that in a way that identifies with everyday Americans, that is where he wins,” Madden said. “This is going to be a campaign about who can help Americans with the anxieties they have on kitchen table issues.”
McCain greeted running mate Sarah Palin and her family at the airport as questions swirled in the news media about the Alaska governor’s readiness for the vice presidency and about her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy.
McCain’s camp has struck back hard, accusing the media of vicious and scurrilous attacks on the 44-year-old mother of five.
But don’t expect McCain to ostracize the major news outlets for long. While McCain canceled a few media appearances in response to the reports about Palin, turning his back on the media will not help him win votes, political strategists said.
The man who was once a media darling is going to have to come to terms with the more skeptical environment, they added.
“At the end of the day, I think American voters do not get into the back and forth with the media and the mechanics of the campaign,” Madden said.
“He has to plug on through it, just plug on,” said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
McCain’s No. 1 talent as a candidate, she said, is his ability to connect with voters in town hall-style venues.
“He does a great job speaking directly to the American people, and that is what I think we are going to see more of,” Blackburn said. “More of that engagement and one on one, things of that nature.”
But McCain’s speech today will give him a chance to introduce himself to a much larger audience.
Campaign aides were debating how McCain should be portrayed on the stage — alone, in front of the image of the American flag, or surrounded by delegates.
Campaign manager Rick Davis said polling data indicate voters are pleased with the consensus on issues within the Republican Party.
“What is really unique about his ticket is how much it appeals to the center and the Democratic voters,” Davis said. “The great opportunity we have in this election is we have many disaffected Democrats who are seriously thinking about voting for Palin and McCain.”
Mike Huckabee, McCain’s former rival for the Republican nomination, gave a speech Wednesday praising McCain’s vision for the country.
“John McCain doesn’t want the kind of change that allows the government to reach deeper into your paycheck and pick your doctor, your child’s school, or even the kind of car you drive or how much you inflate the tires,” Huckabee told delegates.
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