John McCain Returns to New Hampshire to Energize His Supporters

By David Darman on Thursday, June 12, 2008.

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Republican John McCain came back to New Hampshire today, and held a town hall meeting in Nashua.

New Hampshire Public Radio’s David Darman has more.

John McCain speaks at Daniel Webster College in Nashua. (Tracy Lee Carroll, NHPR)

John McCain stopped off at Daniel Webster College, where he told hundreds of supporters that he holds New Hampshire in high regard for its place in picking the nation’s presidents.

"I’m so happy to be back. I’m so happy to be back..what democracy and the political process should be all about. As uh I think was mentioned before, I had a hundred and two town hall meetings here in New Hampshire before the last primary. That’s the reason I was able to carry this state and win the nomination of my party. And I need you this November."

The Arizona Republican told the crowd that he had learned a lot through town hall meetings.

He said that’s how he found out about global warming.

"Town hall meeting after town hall meeting young people stood up and said, Senator, what are you going to do about climate change?"

The senator said he really got into the issue after his unsuccessful run for the presidency in 2000.

"I went back to the United States Senate and we held hearings, and we traveled this world usually at your expense and I saw the manifestations of climate change and I know how serious this issue is in New Hampshire and America and this world and that’s just one of the myriad of benefits that result from a town hall meeting."

John McCain speaks at Daniel Webster College in Nashua. (Tracy Lee Carroll, NHPR)

Most of the crowd that came to see McCain had already made up their minds to support him.

Some liked the Republican’s staunch support for the U.S. military in Iraq.

Others wanted him to come out strongly for drilling for oil in Alaska.

Doug Luder from Nashua said was more curious about McCain now that he was the Republican nominee.

"I just came to hear what he’s going to say. I saw him during the primary campaign I just wanted to see if anything’s changed since then. What do you think might have changed? Well obviously, he’s going to be more focused on Obama."

McCain didn’t say that much about his Democratic rival.

He did mention his differences with Senator Obama on what to do about the rising cost of health insurance and health care.

The Arizona senator did reiterate his invitation to Obama to engage in a weekly town meeting somewhere in the country.

So far, Obama has refused that invitation but McCain says he still hopes something can be worked out.