McCain to make last-minute stop in Indy

Perhaps John McCain wants to save the best for last.

On the last day of his campaign, the presidential Republican nominee will visit one of America’s newest swing states: Indiana.

Indiana has been a Republican stronghold for the last 44 years, which could explain why the Republican nominee hasn’t visited the state since July 1. The Arizona senator has chosen his last day to try to sway voters at an airport rally this afternoon.

The “Road to Victory” rally will take place at 3 p.m. today at the Indianapolis International Airport’s international arrivals ramp, 7001 Pierson Drive. Doors will open at 2 p.m., and tickets can be printed at www.JohnMcCain.com. The campaign will have parking and shuttles available at the corner of North Perimeter Road and Brushwood Road.

However McCain’s visit isn’t going unnoticed by Obama’s campaign.

The Illinois senator will visit the “Indianapolis area” sometime Tuesday.

Details of his visit will not be released beforehand so that Obama “can meet with voters informally” without interrupting their voting activities. His campaign says he wants to meet with voters informally, ask for their support and urge them to get out and vote. This will be his 49th campaign stop in Indiana.

But Rick Davis, campaign manager for McCain, said in a conference call last Friday that voters are witnessing a comeback for the Republican nominee, according to a press release. He said the campaign “increased our gains in virtually every one of the battleground states throughout the course of the week.”

Davis also said McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has energized the race, bringing in crowds of 20,000 while Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s running mate Joe Biden has attracted significantly less support.

Indeed, Palin made three Indiana visits in just more than two weeks, including an Oct. 17 stop in Noblesville, Ind., which drew about 20,000 people.

Marc Lotter, communications director for the McCain campaign in Indiana, said McCain will talk directly to Hoosiers “to set the record straight” on the economy, which has risen as the No. 1 issue for voters in the last leg of the election.

Lotter said Barack Obama spent millions of dollars in advertising to try to sway voters.

“But Hoosiers are starting to pay attention,” Lotter said. “They are realizing that when you look beyond the rhetoric, (Obama) doesn’t hold the same traditional values.”

Justin Hill, chairman of IU Students for John McCain, said though he and other members of the group want to attend the rally, he feels it will be more important to work the phones on their last day.

“I think some of us just really think we should be contacting voters,” Hill said. “We’ll be bombarding the campus with chalk and fliering tomorrow and tonight.”

Hill said he spent about 18 total hours making phone calls this weekend talking to voters about McCain. He will continue making calls today.

“I think everyone knows that it’s pretty close in Indiana, and I think Palin was just kind of used to warm up the crowd, and then John McCain is going to come in and solidify everyone to vote for him,” Hill said.

In the conference call, Davis said McCain has continued to fight through the election and that his crowds have grown more enthusiastic as a result.

“Obviously, we’re in a sprint to the finish,” Davis said. “I would say the one thing that is clear is that we’ve established some momentum.”

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ELECTION GUIDE: Audio of 9th Congressional District candidates Mike Sodrel, Baron Hill and Eric Schansberg on today's Hoosier Headlines