No scheduled events

By Samantha Hayes, in Washington, D.C.

June 9, 2008

                 A remarkable thing happened this past weekend, and it can be summed up in three words: No Scheduled Events. In other words, nothing on the calendars of the remaining two Presidential candidates for Sunday, June 8th.  For those of us who have been covering the race this was notable because the only other break from the campaign trail was Easter Sunday. So after more than five months of primaries, caucuses, fundraisers, speeches, and a history-making Democratic delegate race, the political world finally rested. 

     So what were they up to?  Barack Obama was out in public, but in the role of father and husband, rather than presumptive Democratic nominee.  He rode bikes with his family in a neighborhood park, took his wife, Michelle, out for a fancy date night dinner, and got back to his usual work out schedule with two trips to the gym.  Republican nominee-to-be, John McCain, stayed away from the television cameras while taking a break in Washington, D.C.

     Both candidates know the grueling push toward the general election in November starts this week.  And this is expected to be a very interesting match up because both candidates appeal to voters across the political spectrum.  McCain will be reaching out to disappointed voters who supported Hillary Clinton as well as independents and Obama will court disaffected Republicans and groups he struggled with during the late primaries: working class voters, women, and Latinos.

     What's next? Now that we have reached the half way mark, I don't expect to see "No Events Scheduled" for quite a while.  In fact the next day off for the candidates may not come until, oh, November 5th. That's the day we'll know who the next President will be.