With just hours left to seal the deal with New Hampshire voters, Arizona Senator John McCain is presenting his final argument to those who would determine his fate in the 2008 primary contest.
Here's an extended podcast including interviews with folks inside and outside yesterday's event in Salem, NH. (8 min 04 sec)
It's John McCain's one hundred and first town hall meeting and he's here in New Hampshire in the political fight of his life.
For months, John McCain has been struggling to regain his footing in a campaign that has seen him go from the GOP front-runner to near-afterthought. And now that the New Hampshire vote is just one day away, McCain hopes to hit his stride and once again score a victory in the Granite State. So far it seems the Arizona Senator may have succeeded in reminding voters why they fell for him eight years ago in the first place.
Wherever he goes he's flanked by veterans -- supporters who admire and respect the Senator for the time he spent serving his country and as a prisoner of war.
Despite this core support, McCain, often branded a "maverick," gets serious heat for his positions on controversial issues like immigration and the war in Iraq. At an event in Salem, NH, numerous protesters, from the left and right, showed up to tell McCain why he's wrong on their issue.
For now, McCain is enjoying a moment that's he's been working towards one town hall meeting at a time for what seems like eight years. All indications are that New Hampshire might provide the campaign much-needed fuel. But the question remains: is the Straight Talk Express ready to make it all the way to the Twin Cities for the Republican nomination?
Note: Video and audio includes an interview with Mark Salter, long-time adviser to John McCain and collaborator on McCain's books: Why Courage Matters, Faith Of My Fathers, Worth the Fighting For, Character is Destiny, and "Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them".