October 6, 2008
Palin schedule shows McCain on the defensive?
Posted: 08:00 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Palin will go to Greenville, North Carolina Tuesday.



(CNN) — The McCain campaign announced Sarah Palin is set to make a stop in North Carolina Tuesday night, two days after the Republican VP candidate stumped in Nebraska — two reliably red states that haven't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in at least three decades.
Palin's most recent travel schedule is the latest indication Barack Obama and the nation's ailing economy have put John McCain on the defensive, even in states where the prospect of a Democratic win was unthinkable only four years ago.

Palin's visit to North Carolina comes as most recent polls of the state show Obama and with a 3 point lead over McCain, essentially in a dead heat there. A CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll of North Carolina last month showed the candidates dead even, while some recent polls have even suggested a slight Democratic lead. CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation will release a new North Carolina poll Tuesday morning.

Then there’s the unknown variable of an anticipated rise in turnout in the African-American community. In 2006 that voting bloc made up 26 percent of North Carolina's electorate, with 85 percent voting for Sen. John Kerry. Obama is expected to win an even higher percentage of the black vote this cycle, with a higher expected turnout as well.

"The North Carolina of today is far more diverse than the North Carolina of twenty or even ten years ago," CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib said. "The state’s changing economy has attracted thousands of new voters willing to pull the lever for a Democratic nominee. Second, the state’s sizable African-American voting bloc is extremely energized by Obama’s candidacy. Third, the economic downturn has made Tar Heel voters — just like voters in the rest of the country — much more receptive to the Democratic message of change."

Palin's appearance in the state comes more than five months after McCain held his last public event there, delivering a speech in early May at Wake Forest on his vision for judicial appointments. The event came the same day as Indiana and North Carolina's Democratic primaries and was largely overshadowed by the still-ongoing battle between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said Monday the campaign remains confident the Republican ticket will carry the state.
"This is a state that Barack Obama has put millions of dollars into," he said. "This is an opportunity to speak to our supporters there and makes sure they turn out."
Porritt also declined to say whether McCain has any plans to visit North Carolina before Election Day.

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If Obama wins North Carolina I will simply sh*t!
As someone who lives here in good ol' NC, I can tell you that Obama is making a MASSIVE push here. If you watch TV for 15 minutes you will see 4 Obama commercials. He is really energizing the young folks here to vote.

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What showed that McCain was in trouble is mostly his recent waves of attacks. He needs to move the focus out of the economy, because he is getting slaughtered in that department. The sad thing for him is that if he attacks Obama on some relatively obscure links to his school years, hes gonna turn in an even easier target, since McCain has an even worse share of scandals too (Being in public life for longuer usually does that) .

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New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without anyother reason but because they are not already common.
John Locke

Polls really do dictate the way they campaign,eh. They better step up their game, it's only more than 20 days before the election.