McCain pitches experience

Campaigning near Fort Bragg, the Arizona senator promises an honorable victory in Iraq -- and says he'll keep this state in the red column

FAYETTEVILLE -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain sought Tuesday to ensure North Carolina's presence in the GOP column, saying that only he is seasoned enough to lead a country at war and with a struggling economy.

McCain predicted that on Nov. 4 he would win North Carolina -- a state that Republicans are now sweating over, although they have traditionally taken it for granted. He sought to tap into the state's deep respect for the military during his rally near Fort Bragg, the nation's largest Army base.

"Senator Obama is running to be redistributionist in chief," McCain said. "I'm running to be commander in chief."

The crowd of 8,200 in the Crown Center was electric, waving thousands of orange noisemakers and cheering as country singer Hank Williams Jr. denounced the news media in song. The crowd often drowned out McCain's lines with cheers such as "fight, fight, fight" or "U-S-A, U-S-A."

For the first time in recent memory, North Carolina is ground zero in the race for presidency. Democratic candidate Barack Obama plans to address a rally today in downtown Raleigh. And GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is scheduled to come to Raleigh on Saturday.

McCain arrived in the coliseum in his campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express -- accompanied by his wife, Cindy, former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge and U.S. Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

McCain struck a Trumanesque pose -- as the fighter urging voters to ignore the powers in Washington who, in his words, are already "measuring the drapes" in the White House for Obama.

"The pundits have written us off just like we did before," McCain said. "Sen. Obama is working out details with Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Reid to raise your taxes and concede defeat in Iraq."

Leaning his way

McCain's talk had two major themes: that he is seasoned enough for the presidency and that Obama's views are too liberal.

"Sen. Obama is running to spread the wealth," McCain said. "I'm running to create more wealth. Sen. Obama is running to punish the successful. I'm running to make everyone successful."

McCain repeatedly called the U.S. effort in Iraq a success, and promised to bring the troops home in victory and in honor.

McCain has strong appeal to military personnel and many of the nation's 26 million veterans. If elected, he would have the broadest military background of any president since Dwight Eisenhower.

An AP Yahoo Poll conducted last month found McCain with a 49-32 percent lead over Obama among veterans.

"The first thing about a president is he has to have a military background," said Vern Pittman, 52, a retired paratrooper from Fayetteville who is supporting McCain. "I don't think a civilian ever understands the military life, what we sacrifice for our families and our country."

Phil Horne, a 48-year-old pastor and retired Air Force veteran from Fayetteville, said McCain's military background is important to him.

"I believe McCain has overwhelming experience over Obama," Horne said.

Some vets back Obama

But the military support for McCain is not universal. When Obama visited Crown Center last week, he came bearing the endorsement of such former generals as Colin Powell and Wesley Clark.

"I think there is a lot of support for Sen. McCain in the military," said Jon Kuniholm, a 37-year-old former Marine captain from Durham who lost an arm in Iraq. "But the perception is that is more of a majority than it really is."

Kuniholm said he would volunteer again for Iraq, even knowing it would cost him his arm. But he also said the war was a mistake.

"George Bush and John McCain were wrong about the war in 2002, and they are wrong now," Kuniholm said. "Barack Obama has been straight with the American people about what needs to happen."

At a news conference in Fayetteville on Tuesday, several veterans, including Kuniholm, criticized McCain for giving insufficient support to funding for veterans programs.

Randall Stagner, 48, of Raleigh, who retired this summer as a U.S. Army colonel in special operations, said he is supporting Obama because it's time to wind down the war in Iraq and concentrate U.S. forces in Afghanistan, which he described as the focal point of the fight against terrorism. Obama "is going to go fight the fight in Afghanistan," Stagner said. "That is where Osama bin Laden is."