Sometimes John McCain sleeps in as late as 7:30 a.m.

So what time did you get up this morning?

Everybody's got their own routine and their own idea of what's "early" and what's "sleeping in."

Let Barack Obama hit the gym at 6:30 a.m. if he wants -- even on his vacation that started yesterday. John McCain, like many of us, especially on these slow summer weekends, likes his shut-eye.

"If I can sleep in to about 7:30 or 8, then it really helps me," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said late Friday night as his campaign jet hurtled west from Arkansas to Nevada.

"When I get up real early, like 5:30 or 6, [and] you don't go to bed until 10, 10:30 or 11, it helps me to get up a little later in the morning," he said.

Presidential campaigns are punishing affairs for everyone involved, especially the candidates, who are "on" virtually nonstop. Long days of shuttling from one time zone to another and numbing hours on planes and buses add to the grind.

This week alone, McCain campaigned in Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Arkansas and Nevada.

Next week promises more of the same.

"I kinda can tell," McCain added. "If I put in three or four 18-, 20-hour days in a row, then I'm not sharp. It's just a fact. I can be sharp if I get a little more rest."

McCain, who turns 72 on Aug. 29, is in excellent health. On most days, he appears an indefatigable campaigner. Sometimes, after eight states in five days, the strain shows. At a press conference earlier Friday in Rogers, Ark., he appeared visibly fatigued.

And at a fundraiser shortly afterward, he stood beside former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had also sought the Republican nomination, and clearly said, "I met with him last night."

But McCain apparently misspoke. Reporters promptly asked campaign staff if they'd snuck Huckabee in for a secret audition as vice president the previous night, when McCain was in Cincinnati, and they insisted it hadn't happened.

After checking, an aide said that McCain had simply met with Huckabee before the Arkansas fundraiser, not in Ohio.

-- Bob Drogin

Comments

[nate]

Huckabee blew his chances with the Obama NRA gaffe, assuming he had any to start with.

[Joseph]

"Posted by: nate | August 09, 2008 at 09:16 AM
Huckabee blew his chances with the Obama NRA gaffe, assuming he had any to start with."

You must be a Romney supporter. Everyone else, including Obama himself, accepted Huckabee's public apology and has since moved on. Only Romney supporters keep trying to fan the flames.

[Mark]

Maybe he blew it with you Nate, but this African American would most certainly support a McCain/Huckabee ticket.

[coolrepublica]

I'm in my 30's and if I don't sleep until at least 8:30 I wake up a complete mess.

I used to go to work at 7:00 and I had to sneak in a small early nap just to be able to do the most basic of things.

Never underestimate the power of sleep.

[Bruce becker]

What's the cure for McCain's age-related need for rest?
Retirement.
He is avoiding being tested for incipient Alzheimer's.

[Lynn]

If McCain is smart, he will pick Huckabee. Recent polls (July 2008) by respected firms SurveyUSA and Rasmussen showed that Huckabee had higher approval ratings than any other GOP candidate, and lower negatives. He brought a +8 to the ticket, whereas Romney brought a negative -6 to the ticket. Huckabee's 10-year record as governor can stand up to the scrutiny of economic conservatives, and his positions on important issues are clear and unwavering. He is a gifted campaigner who connects with voters across the socio-economic spectrum. Huckabee still has a high approval rating in Arkansas and earned 48% of the African-American vote there.

[Shelby]

Posted by: nate | August 09, 2008 at 09:16 AM
"Huckabee blew his chances with the Obama NRA gaffe, assuming he had any to start with."

I'm with you, Nate! Huckabee totally blew whatever slim chance he had with the Obama messiah assassination comment!

Just Google "huckabee Obama gun" and you will get ONE MILLION HITS! This is a BIG deal and the Dems would use it non-stop in their commercials against McCain. McCain would not be so dumb to put buffoon huckabee on his ticket.

[Timothy from SC]

Huckabee would be an excellent VP pick for McCain. He has over 10 years of executive experience as governor of Arkansas. He is the candidate that evangelicals and social conservatives like best. He is an excellent communicator. Huckabee talked about the need for energy independence long before McCain or Obama. Huckabee would also sure up the South for McCain since Obama is registering millions of African-Americans to vote for him to try to put those states in play.

Huckabee apologized long ago for the Obama NRA comment, and Obama accepted his apology. Let's talk about the issues and who is most qualified to be President and VP instead of stuff like this.

[Linda Rayborn]

Mike Huckabee could give this ticket the excitement, enthusiasm and cohesiveness with the base that it is going to take to overcome Obama. McCain has the foreign policy experience, but he needs someone with STRONG domestic expericence, and Huckabee is the man. Huck has a huge support base that has grown since the primaries. He has that same maverick attitude that Sen. McCain has, that attitude that people love. One of the best things about him apart from the fact that the polls all say he helps McCain the most, is that Washington does not like him and that tickles the PEOPLE out here to death...We ALL said Washington is broken and it needs fixing. Huckabee's honesty is refreshing. He will say what he believes, not what is politically expedient. (same am McCain straight talker) People respect him so much because we know where he stands and what he believes. NO games here. I found it odd that first people said he was "asking for the vp spot" and he was criticized for that. Then, when he moved on with his life and took the position at Fox, wrote his book and accepted the offer of his own show, he was an opportunist! Whatever he did, I guess was going to be criticized...I don't get these people...

[Mrs. P]

Mike Huckabee was Governor of Arkansas for over 10 years. He is undoubtedly John McCain's best VP pick!

Survey USA took a series of polls to determine the VP candidate (out of Huckabee, Lieberman, Pawlenty, and Romney) who would help John McCain the most.

They took polls in PA, NM, VA, CA, OH, IA, KS, WI, NE, OR, NY, MA, MN, AL, KY, and MO. Of these, PA, NM, VA, OH, IA, OR, MN, and MO are generally considered to be possible battleground states in November.

In almost every case, Governor Mike Huckabee did best. He even had a slight lead in Massachusetts where Romney was once Governor!

Rasmussen recently took a similar poll. They asked those polled whether they had, in general, a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following VP candidates: Crist, Huckabee, Jindal, Lieberman, Palin, and Romney.

Huckabee had the highest favorability and net favorability rating. The net was +8% compared to -6% for Romney.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/huckabee_lieberman_have_highest_favorables_among_possible_mccain_veep_choices

Governor Huckabee would be a great Vice President. Even Mitt Romney thinks so! At a town hall meeting back in December (before Iowa) he was asked what he thought of Huckabee as VP. Romney replied: "Sure, he’s a wonderful person... He’d make a great vice president."