Election Day thoughts

WHO'D HAVE GUESSED?

In June 2007, John McCain made a campaign stop in Modesto. He had breakfast with a few dozen folks upstairs at the old Dewz at the corner of 11th and I streets downtown (Dewz has since moved to 1505 J Street and its old place is now home to the Firkin & Fox pub).

Afterward, he met with the media in front of the war memorial in front of the Stanislaus County Courthouse. At that point, with the primaries coming up and the general election still 17 months away, McCain's campaign was thought to be in trouble. Former Govs. Mitt Romney (Massachusetts), Mike Huckabee (Arkansas) and Rudy Giuliani (New York) all were in the race, and raising more money than McCain. In fact, some political observers believed McCain's candidacy was on the verge of collapse, with former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennesse about to join them in the race. Thompson, many believed, would leap to the front of the pack soon after announcing he was in.

The day before McCain's Modesto visit, Giuliani raked in the donations during a fund-raiser as the home of nursery owner Jim Duarte.

How quickly things changed. Thompson ran a listless and brief campaign. Giuliani blew off the Iowa caucases to concentrate on Florida and California, and it was a serious mistake. Huckabee won Iowa and Giuliani never recovered.

By Super Tuesday in February, Giuliani's campaign had flamed out.  McCain persevered long enough to wipe out Romney and Huckabee, had the nomination in hand by the month's end and already had begun betting vice-presidential candidates.

Considering the state of his campaign lingered back in June 2007, and where he was eight months later, a stronger than predicted showing today really wouldn't be surprising at all.

FROM THE PRECINCTS:

Staff at two Oakdale precincts had to be reminded to properly post the listing of qualified write-in candidates. Most likely, staff simply got busy and forgot while setting up. Still, with former Oakdale City Councilman Phil Rockey as a congressional write-in candidate, the information needed to be out there.