Before the economic collapse, the wrong-track number in the country averaged about 76, according to McCain's internal polling; after the collapse, it's in the single digits. The toll has cost the campaign, in their estimation, about five points nationally. During the past three days, their national and state track has roughly stabilized.
This Tuesday's debate will determine whether there's any re-tightening in battleground states, with the McCain campaign conceding that if the election were to be held this Tuesday, Obama would win more than 300 electoral votes.
Internally, the mantra is: we _could_ be down 15 points... we _should_ be down 15 points, but we're not, and that means we have a shot.
Here is the gameplan:
1. Associations. William Ayers and Rezko, primarily. The campaign compares Obama's association with Wright to a hypothetical Republican's association with an abortion clinic bomber and wonders where the outrage is.
Despite the reporting of the Politico and other entities
2. Obama's record on crime. "Far outside the mainstream." Crime record -- far outside the mainstram...issues like gang violence and crack/powder retroactivity (which even the Bush admin supports but is not popular)... Are they skating close to the race line here? The McCain camp turns it around: since when is a black candidate given a free pass on these issues?
3. Tax issues -- his votes to "raise" taxes 94 times, etc.
"We're going to fight back against the false attacks and make clear who has the record of a principled, fearless reformer and who doesn't," says Mark Salter, McCain's closest adviser.
"There's plenty of time yet. We have the opportunity and the resources to prevail. The environment has always been a challenge and I include the media double standard as an important part of the environment. But we're going to speak clearly about the candidate's real records, the reforms he can be counted on to make and the stakes in this election -- in the debate, in speeches and on air."
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