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 The Republican presidential contender returned to the city where he was once commanded a Navy squadron for his first individual rally since announcing Sarah Palin as his running mate over two weeks ago. Then he was flying to Orlando to take questions from an audience for the first time since a session in Las Cruces, N.M., before he accepted his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention.
Since parting with Palin last week, McCain has held a business round-table discussion, attended 9/11 memorial events and traversed New York for a Time magazine forum and appearances on "The View" and "The Rachel Ray Show." He spent Saturday working at his campaign headquarters in Virginia and Sunday attending a NASCAR race in New Hampshire.
Aides said they expected a sizable turnout for the Jacksonville rally, a special wish after Palin drew 10,000 people Saturday in Carson City, Nev., during her first solo rally outside Alaska, where she is governor. Palin has reinvigorated McCain's campaign with supporters drawn by her "hockey mom" persona and down-home speaking style.
McCain's once freewheeling campaign style disappeared this summer as he and his staff sought to regain control of his campaign message. There are few discussions with reporters aboard his "Straight Talk Express" campaign bus, and he last took questions at a news conference on Aug. 13.
Even his rallies with Palin have been tightly scripted, with McCain referring to note cards and Palin reprising lines from the speech in which she accepted the GOP's vice presidential nomination.
The effort appears to have paid off, with McCain taking a slight lead over Democrat Barack Obama in national polls.
McCain also holds a lead over Obama in Florida and he is counting on high turnout from partisans and military veterans in the state's northeastern corner on Election Day. McCain was holding a fundraiser in Miami on Monday night and a rally in Tampa on Tuesday, highlighting his other state targets.
The Arizona senator won the Florida's GOP primary in January, boosted at the last minute with an endorsement from Gov. Charlie Crist.
[Associated
Press]
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