From The Road
By

Dean Reynolds /

CNET/ August 12, 2008, 4:50 PM

Stark Differences Between Obama, McCain Campaign Events

(CBS)
From CBS News' Dean Reynolds:

(YORK, PA.) - For someone who's covered Barack Obama since late 2007, a brief stop with John McCain's campaign is illuminating. The differences are striking.

Whereas Obama's events are multi-cultural extravaganzas, McCain's are almost entirely white. Obama draws crowds of all ages. McCain's crowd trends older. Obama's crowds are often huge. McCain's are more intimate.

Patriotic themes dominate at McCain events, as you might expect of a candidate whose life story is all but written in red white and blue. A huge flag dominated the background at York, Pa., on Tuesday. A large video screen shows images of McCain the fighter pilot, along with pictures of Teddy Roosevelt.

On this occasion, the Arizona senator rode his campaign bus right into the hall. Obama's never pulled that as far as I can remember. Off jumped McCain, his constant companion, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Ct., and former Gov. Tom Ridge, R-Pa., always on the list of possible vice presidential candidates.

McCain often appears halting or uneasy on television, but in person on this day he was pumped and relaxed at the same time, easily playing off questions from the crowd and hitting the right lines with the right emphasis. That may have been because this was said to be one of the largest audiences he's ever drawn. Upwards of 3,000 people were on hand in the Toyota Arena.

Now 3,000 people is a good crowd, no question. But with Obama's campaign, a crowd of a similar size would often be considered a failure of the advance staff and someone might well get fired. Whatever, McCain was energized.

And why not? He's had a good run – able to somehow turn Obama's overseas trip into a negative, then having the crisis in Georgia erupt in time for him to display his national security chops while Obama is vacationing in Hawaii.

No wonder he was smiling as he boarded the Straight Talk Express and headed back onto the road.
© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
  • Dean Reynolds

    Dean Reynolds is a CBS News National Correspondent based in Chicago.

19 Comments Add a Comment
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broncfan1661 says:
Boy the Obama fans are having a field day on this site.
I am not a McCain supporter but I don''t care for Obama either.
I can''t however stand by while outright lies are posted. The Pentagon did not deny Obama access to the wounded soldiers in Germany. It was his own campaign''s decision because they didn''t want to look like it was a campaign ploy.
Secondly, if Obama did visit wounded troops in Iraq, I didn''t see it. And how could you miss it . The cameras followed him everywhere.
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chika6 says:
The media has been hammering on Edwards cheating which I do not support but what of John Mccain. A man that started cheating on a sick woman because of money yet that same woman is being considered good for first lady. Must America throw away all her heritage because we want to please John Mccain. How many of us will be proud to see him representing America among world leaders? Has America been devalued to such a ridiculous extent? God forbid!
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chika6 says:
One of such negative was to say Obama who visited wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan without cameras did not want to visit them in Germany. What a lie and deception? Good luck to you people who love lies and negatives. May you continue to enjoy and elected Mccain to continue to feed you with it, that way America will be great. Goodluck with negative Mccain.
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chika6 says:
I hope turning positives into negatives is what you need in a president Mccain. May God help America. This war mongering and fear factor cannot help us. Simple matters that should be talked over are always reduced to war under the republicans and souls are lost in the name of fighting wars and these souls are not our relations. Enjoy your war mongering outing and I hope you will recommend your brother for the army and posting to Gorgia where Mccain will start a war with Russia if elected. Americans cannot be deceived again.
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dnsallday says:
McCain was energized.
And why not? He%u2019s had a good run %u2013 able to somehow turn Obama%u2019s overseas trip into a negative. *****************************************

NO! McCain wasn''t able to turn Obamas overseas trip into a negative. McCain hired the nastiest and most dishonest people he could find to run his campaign. They merely initiated the theme that Obama being welcomed by world leaders onto the world stage was a negative thing.
The irresponsible corporate media went into their regular "we will let the Republican party choose how we present and push a particular theme" group think and that is why some people took away a negative perception.
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inaru-2009 says:
McCain''s "national security chops"? What "chops" are those? The "Bomb Iran" chops? The "Iraq has WMDs" chops? The "kick Russia out of the G8" chops? The "go, go, go Georgia - awwwww" chops? The ridiculing the importance of our allies chops? Or maybe the export our military equipment production jobs overseas so they can hamstring us when they don''t like us chops? And I can''t wait for the return of the daily color-coded threat alert chops with his buddy Tom Ridge.
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lordmi says:
McIdiot! Who gave You the right to speak on behaf American People????

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lordmi says:
to CompoundW I guess his 26 years in dirty Washington to make him dirty enough and unelectable.
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lordmi says:
to nguyendynast - You are not correct. It is all opposite: while Obama wasy creates crowds , McBush is seeking for them, looking for them, trying to show up at any possible ocasion...like piece of day-before-yesterday cake after good dinner. (not necessary that cake You want).
That is McBush, who needs crowd and flirts with crowd , but still can not create any interest to himself, even to top-less Cindy.
So, give me a break - old Idiot for oldery, stupid.
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nguyendynast says:
French thinker Pascal said the problem is one cannot be alone in his or her room. Obama refused to see wound soldiers in Germany alone. He needs big rallies. Hard to say Berliners came for a polical speech or for rock as well as hot dog. During the primary he appeared at the end of a music show with 70,000 goers just like deliver an address in super bowl half time. Enormous gathering makes you superman with a monologue over the ridge of the house. Small meeting, preferable to Mc Cain, provides warm dialogue, making you more personable with feet on the ground.
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