McCain makes an unlikely stop and wins a vote
If the scene early this morning at a precinct in Michigan's Traverse City is any indictation, turnout for the state's presidential primary won't match the standards set in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Republican John McCain, along with nearly 20 reporters, were on hand to meet voters -- all three of them. And at least one, Tami Kukuczka, wasn't swayed by the candidate's presence. The 50-year-old administrative assistant said she was voting for Ron Paul because she agrees with his opposition to forced vaccinations.
McCain's trip to the precinct was not in vain, though, The Times' Maeve Reston reports. Peg Jonkoff, the owner of a funeral home across the street, invited the Arizona senator and his enoturage to pay a visit.
McCain and his wife, Cindy, spent several minutes admiring the 34-room Queen Anne Victorian-style home (complete with 10 fireplaces) that was built in 1891 for Traverse City founder Perry Hannah. He also indulged his penchant for corny jokes -- "People are dying to get in there." But more to the point, McCain picked up Jonkoff's support (she had been undecided between him and Mitt Romney).
The notoriously superstitious McCain ...
made sure his wardrobe for the day included the green sweater he wore when he won the New Hampshire primary last week. And he flashed his lucky penny to reporters.
More than amulets, however, McCain appears to need support from Michigan's non-Republicans in the party's open primary to win a contest that polls have shown either too close to call or tilting toward Romney.
“I think it’s going to be very close ... so turnout obviously matters,” said McCain, standing on an icy street outside the polling place at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center.
And he made clear he would be undeterred by a loss in Michigan: “No matter what -– we have South Carolina [which holds its GOP primary Saturday] and then Florida [a Jan. 29 primary], and I think we have a ways to go before this nomination is clear. ..."
Few Republicans would disagree with that last assertion.
McCain said he was hoping for a boost from the Democrats and independents who carried him to victory in Michigan’s 2000 primary. A similar showing, he said, “shows potential for the general election in November as well.”
McCain is headed to Ann Arbor for a town hall meeting with Independent Democrat Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut senator who has endorsed him. He flies to Charleston late Monday to await the Michigan results in South Carolina.
-- Don Frederick
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Go Tami Kukuczka!
Go Ron Paul!
Ron Paul is going to have a VERY strong showing in Michigan today!
Posted by: Scott M. | January 15, 2008 at 11:12 AM
I am very disappointed in McCain's "misleading mailer" as Newsweek calls it. Newsweek exposes all of the lies and attacks on Romney by McCain. McCain is exposed as a hypocrite. Summary
McCain is sending out a postcard mailing in South Carolina that is misleading on more than one point.Factcheck.org: McCain's Misleading Mailer
He faults Romney for "providing" state funding for abortions that Romney didn't seek, and courts ordered.
By Brooks Jackson | factcheck.org
Jan 15, 2008 | Updated: 10:40 a.m. ET Jan 15, 2008
Posted by: Jim | January 15, 2008 at 01:57 PM
Criteria for president:
1. Hang out in my sweet old house
2. Make corny jokes
3. Be more supersticious than me.
Classic if this was how the world worked for every possition... We'd all be screwed.
Ron Paul calls for a return to the Constitution, but is slightly extreme and doesn't know how to run the government. Love that he is bringing attention to a huge issue (much like tancredo did)
McCain is not qualified to be president, he has spent the last 27 years... and all he can cite are accomplishments that took place before he was involved in the government!
Romney doesn't have a clue how to run a campaign, but he sure has had success in running other stuff, olympics, companies, states. If he doesn't change his mind again he would be a good first operating officer.
Huckabee wants you to be a member of his church of jokes. He tries to be funny and likeable. yeah George Bush was the likeable candidate last time... we all know what that got us.
Hillary... well if she faced Huck in the final election I am convinced she could beat up Chuck Noris. She is scary, has scary ideas, impossible ideas.
Obama: has no idea how to run a government, but has good people. (sadly most of those people were in power with clintion... can you say front man... puppet...
Edwards: Should have stuck with male modeling
Posted by: Ron Paul | January 15, 2008 at 03:42 PM