Politics | John McCain McCain's Down, But Not Out History shows that McCain can surge By Clay Dillow Posted Oct 14, 2008 10:00 AM CDT Copied Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., makes a point as Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., listens during a town hall-style presidential debate. (AP Photo/Jim Bourg, Pool) With Obama pulling well ahead of the Straight Talk Express, "the 2008 campaign seems poised to enter its Harry Truman phase," writes Walter Shapiro in Salon. But a November comeback isn’t out of the question. Shapiro runs down four factors that could push McCain into the White House: The elastic electorate: There are likely more “undecideds” out there than polls show. Plus, "it is ludicrous to believe that public opinion will be frozen in amber" for the next 3 weeks. A game-changing event: Sure, it's tacky to speculate, but a new attack or even the threat of one from al-Qaeda could push voters toward McCain. A "Maverick" move: Past gambles (suspending his campaign, Sarah “you betcha” Palin) haven’t provided bounce, but something drastic, like a full repudiation of Bush’s presidency, could change minds. Dropping Iowa, and his hubris: McCain needs to cede states he can’t win and concentrate on states where he still has a chance. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. Her blood isn't compatible with anyone else's. Report an error