Mark Halperin’s Three Things

Mark Halperin's three things to watch for in presidential politics for Tuesday, October 21.

1. Watch Barack Obama as he prepares to go to Hawaii to visit his ailing grandmother. Sen. Obama is leaving the campaign trail on Thursday be with Madelyn Dunham, 85, for a few days. The New York Times says the trip -- less than two weeks before election day -- “carries an element of risk.” Watch to see how the illness affects the overall dynamic of the campaign.
2. Watch the polls. Polls, polls and more polls. The McCain campaign needs positive polling data nationally and in the states in order to try to build a comeback narrative with the public and the press. Watch to see if they get any good news on that front today.
3. Watch the Obama campaign. It’s a little bit on the defensive. McCain, Palin and other Republicans have seized on attacking the Democratic ticket’s own words. They continue to mention Obama’s “spread the wealth” comments to Joe the Plumber from more than a week ago, as well as Joe Biden’s remarks from Sunday about Obama being tested early in his presidency. Watch to see if the McCain campaign chooses to drive both of those, just one, or an entirely different message. It’s a big choice for the McCain campaign to make in deciding on a closing message.