McCain Surge In New Hampshire: Midday Rally Overflows As The Straight Talk Express Comes Back Full Circle

PETERBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE — It was standing-room only at the McCain rally today at noon in Peterborough, New Hampshire — at least we assume so, since the event was stuffed to capacity and the fire marshal ordered it closed.

As the Straight Talk Express swung around the corner of Grove Street around the Town Hall, where the event was being held, throngs of supporters waved placards and chanted "McCain! McCain!" and "Mac is Back!" The crowd surged around the bus as a McCain operative emerged, clearing the way for its occupants to proceed on in to the Town Hall (we saw Time's Ana Marie Cox duck quickly through the crowd and into the building, followed by the other occupants). Last came McCain, casual-cool in a blazer and sweater (New Hampshire in winter = layers), with wife Cindy on his arm, beaming as he made his way through the crowd. As fans cheered and chanted McCain waved and smiled and shook hands, feeding off the energy from his fans. According to this morning's Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll, McCain is leading in New Hampshire by 32 percent over former frontrunner Mitt Romney (at 30), who has connections to the state both as a former neighboring governor, property-owner, and spender of many millions of campaign dollars. McCain, for his part, won the New Hampshire primary back in 2000. Many in the crowd, which was generationally diverse if not ethnically so, declared that they had supported him then and were back to support him now.

Alas, soon after he disappeared into the hall, the the glass door swung shut with, as from behind it a portly mustachioed man shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Stranded media types with cameras and press passes around their necks stood with disappointed supporters and what appeared to be actual undecided voters as the door opened and shut periodically to let particular people through (being press helped, which led one woman to complain, "Oh, so you'll let members of the press in but not actual undecided New Hampshire independents?") All told, approximately 200 people were left outside the Town Hall, which had admitted about 1,000 people before the fire marshal raised his all-powerful hand.

Not everyone wnted to go in, though — the front steps of the Town Hall were taken up by some grassroots protest groups with signs like "McCain = Amnesty," "Divided We Fail" and "Impeach Cheney First" — but mostly they milled around and cheerfully posed for pictures. Behind the building, where by now the fire marshal's edict had been circulated, supporters waited patiently outside, like couple Gary Hunter and Candace McCabe, who had met McCain previously on a number of occasions. McCabe, who carried a copy of a McCain book for him to sign, was an aesthetician and said that she had hoped to offer her services to McCain should he be so inclined. Both felt that McCain was the candidate most experienced to lead, saying that this "wasn't a time for on the job training." Though there's never a bad time for good makeup.

Follow Rachel Sklar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rachelsklar

Comments

[Bozwellian]

How serious are folks NOW taking McC as being a "straight talker' ? This is the Senator who flocked to GWB's side in 2004 and has clung close and even hit the righteous right centers in attempts to "woo" them to his camp as he marched towards seeking the WH this time around...The fella as well, on Sunday MTP/jan 06/08 stated he stands firm that invading Iraq was a GOOD THING as well as the delusional 'surge is working" supposedly affirming HE was right on..Uh, there WILL be a REDEPLOYMENT of military folks due to mandatory ROTATION OUT and that means a troop withdrawal coming and NONE TO ACTUALLY REPLACE THEM at this time as well as the FACT that the Iraqi governing body has yet to get their act together...WHO BELIEVES McC at this point and truly figures HIM authentic or an actual STRAIGHT TALKER when he has been HEDGING his chatter for quite sometime ? Someone needs to do a good fact check on big Mac...(as well is wise to note, he has periods of looking quite ashen /questionable true health concerns/e­tc....!!!!­) McC may take NH, not sure that does the GOP field any real good nor does it offer him as sustainable or viable either !!!

[olephart]

"the Straight Talk Express"

How about some straight talk on the Iraq War Senator. World War II was precipitated by Germany fabricating an incident on its border with Poland. The Iraq War was precipitated by George Bush & Co. fabricating threats and actions by Iraq. The pre-emptive attack on Pearl harbor by the Japanese was the 1941 version of "Shock and Awe". If the Japanese had won the Battle of Midway 6 months later and forced the US to surrender its territories and interests in the Pacific, would the attack on Pearl Harbor have been justified?

[BBackSoon]

He was swift boated by Bush in 2000 but all was forgiven. That does not show me integrety that shows me willing to suck whatever the RNC or Bushco put in his mouth.

Nope, he is nothing but a political whore.