“John McCain reoriented his campaign again Monday, dropping the harsh attacks on rival Barack Obama and casting himself as the tested fighter able to overcome his growing deficit in the polls. With three weeks left until the general election, the Republican presidential nominee traveled to Virginia and North Carolina, a pair of onetime GOP strongholds that are now in play. He delivered nearly identical speeches, painting a somber picture of the state of the government and the race, and vowing a comeback. ‘We have to act immediately. We have to change direction now. And we have to fight,’ Sen. McCain said in Virginia Beach. He wrapped it up, saying: ‘Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up. We never quit.’” (10/13/08)