Who do Senator John McCain's advisors want him to face in November's presidential election?
According to Elisabeth Bumiller, a political affairs reporter for The New York Times, the answer is Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
"They feel they have a better case against Obama," said Bumiller, who has covered McCain's campaign ever since he won the New Hampshire primary in January.
The McCain campaign is likely to define Obama as inexperienced with foreign policy and less likely to work with moderates and conservatives.
Bumiller spoke in Huntsman Hall on Friday to discuss her experiences on the campaign trail and the challenges she faces in keeping up with the newest political stories each day.
The Obama and Clinton campaigns, for example, send reporters "battling e-mails every 20 minutes," she said.
Before covering the McCain campaign, Bumiller was the White House correspondent for the Times and wrote a biography of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that was published this past December.
Those who attended the speech were certainly given an insider's perspective of the presidential election.
"John McCain and Hillary Clinton actually like each other," Bumiller told a surprised audience.
College sophomore Jessica Yu described the McCain commentary as "insightful."
Bumiller said that McCain "looks older than he is, but he has lots of energy. He is sharp, he is smart, and he wants to talk all day long."
The Undergraduate Assembly, The Daily Pennsylvanian and Fox Leadership Program sponsored the event, which was a part of the UA's Readership Program.
"We will be bringing The New York Times free for the next year," said outgoing UA chairman and College senior Jason Karsh. This initiative was started at the beginning of this semester.
Apparently, a few copies can also be found on the Straight Talk Express, the McCain campaign bus that carries reporters like Bumiller to rallies and political events. She was sure to mention that even "John McCain reads The New York Times."
