Mike Murphy, An Old Hand, Checks Out McCain

It was hard to see him, at first. The crowds at McCain events these days are pretty big.

But there, along the side wall of a VFW post in Hudson, New Hampshire last night was Mike Murphy, By McCain's side at all times in 2000. Murphy later worked for Mitt Romney, helping prepare him for the 2008 presidential race.

Murphy left Romney's world in 2006, decamped to Hollywood, and said he would remain neutral. He is much in demand these days as a talking head, as he knows McCain and Romney fairly intimately.

"John called me up and asked me to come," Murphy told me. "I'm just here as a friend. I'm neutral in the presidential race."

But I did notice a large smile on Murphy's face during the event, and I later saw Murphy disappear into an elevator with John and Cindy McCain at the Nashua Crowne Plaza a little while later.

Mr. Murphy certainly has insights that pertain to McCain's current race.




** An unusual thing is happening at McCain events these days.

When he opens the floor to questions, he inevitably gets two or three that no other presidential candidate would get. The questioners want HIS advice. Last night, a father asked McCain what he should say to his son who was interested in getting a West Point commission. (Recall the moment three weeks ago when a veteran contemplating suicide essentially asked McCain to talk him off the ledge.) CBS News' chief McCain watcher, Dante Higgins, tells me that the frequency of these types of questions has been increasing.

About half the questions were friendly; about half were provocative. McCain prefers the provocative questions. Two night ago, he engaged in a respectful dialogue with an anti-war independent, who, while persuaded, told McCain he had better beat Romney next Tuesday.

It's a common observation, but McCain's New Hampshire events are full of familiar faces. An entourage of surrogates, ranging from ex-Navy buddies to POWs to friends like Rep. Chris Shays travel with the roadshow wherever it goes. Even when the questions are tough, there is no tension in the crowd.

One independent I talked to last night said he was deciding between Barack Obama and John McCain, fully aware that the men would pursue fairly different policies as president. "But they are both inspirational," he said.