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On the Attack: McCain appeals to N.C. voters to help him catch Obama in polls
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Sen. John McCain greets supporters at a rally in Wilmington. It was McCain's first campaign appearance in North Carolina since May.
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Published: October 14, 2008
WILMINGTON -- John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, said yesterday that he is trailing his rival, Democrat Barack Obama, in the polls and needs North Carolina to help him mount a comeback in the three weeks before Election Day.
"We're six points down," McCain told a raucous crowd of supporters in Wilmington.
"The national media has written us off. Sen. Obama is measuring the drapes, planning with Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Reid to raise taxes, to increase spending, and take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections. And concede defeat in Iraq.
"But they forgot to let you decide, my friends. My friends, we've got them just where we want them."
In a 20-minute speech at Cape Fear Community College, McCain repeatedly invoked his image as a fighter, saying that he has fought for his country since he was 17 years old and that he will never give up.
It's a message that has worked for him before.
Early on in the Republican primary season, McCain was nearly out of money and trailed badly in the polls, but he ultimately emerged as the nominee.
He now faces a similar uphill battle in the general election -- a situation vividly illustrated by his standing in North Carolina.
The state hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 32 years, but polls show McCain and Obama in a dead heat.
That has forced McCain to spend more time here.
Yesterday's rally was his first public campaign appearance in the state since May.
(In June, he also met privately with the Rev. Billy Graham at a retreat in Western North Carolina.)
McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, held a rally in Greenville last week and is scheduled to hold a fundraiser in Greensboro on Thursday.
McCain said in his speech yesterday that he would freeze government spending in all but the most important programs, and he criticized Obama's health-care plan as too big an expansion of government.
He said that, in the nation's current economic crisis, the next president cannot afford to learn on the job.
The crowd was hyped up for McCain's visit, frequently stomping their feet on the gymnasium bleachers and chanting their candidate's name. Shouts of "You're a hero!" and "You're a fighter, John!" could be heard above the roar.
McCain was introduced first by Sen. Richard Burr and then by McCain's wife, Cindy McCain.
He said at the outset of his speech that he would take questions from the audience, but he left the gymnasium after the speech without taking any questions.
Although McCain made several pointed attacks on Obama, his speech was nowhere near as barbed as the one that Palin gave in Greenville last week.
But outside the rally was an indication of the anonymous attacks that have become familiar during this election season.
A banner that read "NO BAMA!" was posted outdoors. It showed side-by-side images of Obama, terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, and Thomas Wright, the former state legislator from Wilmington who was sentenced to as many as eight years in prison for financial corruption.
Obama has no links to either of them.
It was unclear who was responsible for the anti-Obama banner, and it was quickly taken down.
"That sort of hateful and irresponsible message is the last refuge of some who are supporting John McCain, who realize they've run out of time and are wrong on the issues," said Paul Cox, a spokesman for Obama in North Carolina.
■ James Romoser can be reached at 919-210-6794 or at jromoser@wsjournal.com.
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