Lima stops on presidential trail

The recent presidential campaign stops in Lima couldn't have been more different. Presumptive Republican nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain - he accepts the nomination Thursday night - carried off a polished, well-orchestrated visit. Democratic nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's stop Sunday at a downtown church was less so.

Some observations about the two visits:

• Obama's crowd was nowhere near as large as it could have been had there been more notice of his visit. Obama was the first Democratic president candidate to make a campaign stop in Lima in at least 50 years. But the campaign didn't offer specifics about an appearance until shortly before he arrived, as compared to several days notice that usually accompanies a campaign stop. We believe that more people would have liked to have had a chance to see and hear Obama.

McCain, in his Aug. 7 visit to Veterans Memorial Civic Center, played to a full house. The Republican Party gave people plenty of notice and opportunity to see the Arizona senator. Such notice might have brought out a mostly partisan crowd, but those there had the chance to ask questions of McCain and learn firsthand about his beliefs.

• Give Obama credit for the respect he showed for congregants at St. Luke Lutheran Church. He said he was stopping to worship, and he did. No specific mention was made during the church service of his attendance, though everyone in the church knew he was there. Specific mention of the church where he intended to stop likely would have interrupted services with those merely interested in seeing the candidate.

Give McCain credit for not dodging uncomfortable questions during his Lima visit. He disagreed with the premise of some questions people asked, but he answered. His town hall format offered audience members a chance at frank questions, as opposed to Obama's briefly talking to people shaking hands and posing for pictures.

• Even with the short notice, several hundred people lined up to see Obama. It was an impressive turnout for having little in the way of notice other than the speculation earlier in the week that Obama "might stop" in Lima.

McCain, as noted, received the thousand people it wanted for a town hall meeting. The Republicans used the media to provide information about attending the town hall meeting and thus ensured a large turnout.

• Obama's crowd was a more diverse mix of what seemed like mostly middle-class people: young and old, black and white, male and female. McCain drew a more typically Republican crowd: more affluent, more white and older.

Those in McCain's crowd have shown time and again they'll turn out to vote. Many of those in Obama's crowd don't have the same track record, particularly the younger people in the crowd. It's one thing to get excited when a candidate rolls into town. It remains to be seen if Obama's supporters will turn out in large enough numbers on Nov. 4 to carry the election.