Can Obama Close the Deal? McCain May Yet Have a Say

• By Stuart Rothenberg
• Roll Call Contributing Writer
• July 24, 2008, Midnight

The next 15 weeks in the 2008 presidential race will be primarily about whether American voters are comfortable with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in the Oval Office. But that doesn’t let presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) off the hook completely. His message and positioning will help determine whether he will remain a credible alternative to Obama.