'Minnesota Nice': McCain Calls for Calm

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 11, 2008 -- The Friday-evening crowd in the Minneapolis suburb of Lakeville was fired up for Sen. John McCain's arrival for a town hall meeting in a hot high school gymnasium.

They largely felt their candidate was getting a bad shake from the national media, and there was a sense throughout the question-and-answer portion of McCain's event that the audience needed to make a point to McCain.

"I'm begging you, Senator, to give them a different choice on Wednesday night," one woman said to McCain, referring to the upcoming presidential debate next Wednesday.

"The people here in Minnesota want to see a real fight this next time you debate," a man said. "We want a strong president to lead us for the next four years."

And a third: "I respectfully tell you that you have to talk a little bit, and bring to the attention of the voters – the press is not going to do it for you – some of the gamey associations, some of the associations that have really marred Obama's life…You gotta do it."

The crowd applauded each entreaty for McCain to get tough on his rival in the presidential race, Sen. Barack Obama.

But in general, McCain avoided taking the bait.

One man told McCain he was scared of an Obama presidency. McCain pushed back.

"First of all, I want to be president of the United States and obviously I do not want Sen. Obama to be. But I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared as president of the United States."

Here the audience booed their disagreement.

"Now, I just -- now look," McCain continued, "if I didn't think I wouldn't be one heck of a lot better president I wouldn't be running, OK? And that's the point."

At other times McCain also seemed to soften what have become regular attacks on Obama on the trail.

"The point is, that I will point out [Obama's] record, but I will do it with respect, and I will do it with respect and I want all of you to tell your friends and neighbors the difference between rhetoric and record, but let's do it respectfully," McCain said.