McCain asks NH voters to send him on 'one more mission'

PETERBOROUGH – Sen. John McCain made a sentimental journey back to the first-primary state Sunday night, asking voters here to give him “one last mission” to reform government, jump start a staggering economy and restore peace abroad.

“So again I come to the people of New Hampshire, Republicans, independents, Democrats, Libertarians, vegetarians, all of them. I am asking you again to let me go on one more mission,” McCain said in hosting a question-and-answer forum at Peterborough Town Hall.

This moderate Republican town is where McCain had ended his successful New Hampshire presidential primary campaigns in 2000 and 2008.

“I really do mean I have a special feeling for this state and its wonderful people, who take their responsibility in politics so seriously,” McCain said.

The Arizona senator vowed to protect the state’s primary status and in so doing took an indirect shot at his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, who has dramatically outspent McCain here and across the U.S. by raising a record $600 million.

“You cannot buy an election in the state of New Hampshire, my friends. The people decide in New Hampshire,” McCain said.

During an interview, U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, a Republican, said he believes both McCain and he will capture most of the undecided voters.

“We have seen in the last week that undecided voters are breaking to Senator McCain and myself because we offer bipartisan leadership and boldness to take tough stances,” Sununu said.

And McCain said it’s his and its wonderful people, who take their responsibility in politics so seriously,” McCain said.

The Arizona senator vowed to protect the state’s primary status and in so doing took an indirect shot at his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, who has dramatically outspent McCain here and across the U.S. by raising a record $600 million.

“You cannot buy an election in the state of New Hampshire, my friends. The people decide in New Hampshire,” McCain said.

During an interview, U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, a Republican, said he believes both McCain and he will capture most of the undecided voters.

“We have seen in the last week that undecided voters are breaking to Senator McCain and myself because we offer bipartisan leadership and boldness to take tough stances,” Sununu said.

And McCain said it’s hisability to work with Democrats on Capitol Hill that will carry the day here.

“We’ve got to sit down together and we have to work across the aisle and that’s my record, that’s my record,” McCain said.

“That’s why independents have supported me in New Hampshire and that’s why I am going to win New Hampshire because I’m going to get Republican and independent support.”

About 600 supporters crammed into the Town Hall with another 1,000 watching McCain right outside the building on a giant TV screen.

McCain and Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling addressed the crowd outside before coming in to host the meeting.

Schilling used a baseball playoffs analogy to insist McCain would confound the pollsters and win the White House on Tuesday.

“The national media would have you believe we are down 3-0,” Schilling said.

“I don’t care how much money the other team spends on payroll. I don’t care how much charisma the other team has. All I care about is who has the character and the integrity because that will always win the fight.”

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said Obama would win nationally because Americans are hungry for change and that it’s the Illinois Democratic senator who can end the Washington gridlock.

“Barack Obama is someone who is going to work effectively across party lines,” Kerry said. “We’ve been stuck in these partisan times that have been just dreadful for the country.”

Kerry said he’s been “surprised and disappointed” how McCain and his campaign have attacked Obama’s character and believe as a tactic it’s backfired.

“I’m very surprised he did that because he said he wouldn’t,” Kerry began.

“Senator McCain said he would run a campaign made up of big issues. He’s served up nothing but negativity in this race.”

At this final forum, however, McCain acknowledged Obama had inspired millions in this campaign. McCain’s only criticism during the event was Obama’s plan to tax those making more than $250,000 would stall any recovery in the economy.

Over the past five days, McCain has more than cut the huge lead Obama had in the polls here.

As of Saturday night, however, he still trails the Democrat, 52 percent to 41 percent with 2 percent choosing someone else and 5 percent undecided, according to the latest tracking poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

McCain supporters at the rally were not quite as confident as the candidate was about winning the state’s four electoral votes.

“It’s a toss-up, which I still find hard to believe,” said Wayne Haseltine, of Salem, who works as an educator in Londonderry.

“If Obama were a Republican, he would have never gotten this far. It’s not that he’s black, it’s all about qualifications and he’s really lacking in that regard,” Hazeltine said.

But Tim Sickles, of Gilsum, said it’s politically correct to be for Obama and that’s falsely inflated his real support.

“The Obama people are so fired up that it’s hard to tell pollsters that you are not with him,” Sickles said. “I really think McCain is going to pull this one out.”

Carol Leblanc, of Wilton, said she decided a week ago to go with McCain in part due to McCain’s opposition to legal abortions.

“The more research I did the more I realized the Republican platform is where I am at,” Leblanc said.

In typical, straight-talking fashion, McCain didn’t tell questioners what they wanted to hear.

McCain told an immigration reform supporter that pushing a comprehensive change makes little sense until the governors can certify the borders are secure enough to prevent more aliens from coming into the U.S.

He also told an advocate for clean coal technology that more conventional, dirtier coal plants may need to be built to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

“Americans are ready for tough decisions if they are looked straight in the eye and told the reason why,” McCain summed up.