Obama and McCain: two candidates, two styles

By Jeff Mason - Analysis

PHOENIX (Reuters) - They both aspire to win the White House in November, but Barack Obama and John McCain could not be more different in how they intend to get there.

With four months to go before Americans choose a new president, the two candidates are honing their styles and expanding their campaign organizations to compete in what is finally a two-person race.

That's where the similarities end.

Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, excels at big events that draw thousands of people, using oratorical skills that are praised by political friends and foes alike.

The lanky 46-year-old, who would be the first black U.S. president, projects a celebrity aura on the road, connects easily with listeners, and gives in to a tendency to ramble when answering questions.

"Obama is an ebullient campaigner, who genuinely enjoys people. He has an ease and connection that is rare," said his top strategist, David Axelrod.

"He is comfortable in any room, with any group, anywhere, and that is a great quality in a candidate. He also is a passionate, powerful speaker, who can move a crowd."

Compare that with Republican McCain, the slim, silver-haired senator from Arizona, who is comfortable with a joke but awkward with a TelePrompTer, making his big speeches a magnet for criticism from pundits and party activists.

The 71-year-old former fighter pilot, who would be the oldest U.S. president to enter office, thrives in smaller venues and loves the give-and-take exchanges with reporters on his bus or with participants at regular town-hall meetings.

COMPELLING PERSONAL STORIES

"McCain is a natural campaigner -- dealing with average Americans, people who show up on the campaign trail. Whether they're friendly or not, he thrives on it, he's good at it," said senior adviser Charlie Black.

"You can't script this guy if you tried," said Carly Fiorina, a top economic adviser. "He loves more than anything else the genuine, authentic interaction with the American citizen."

The stylistic differences do not boil down only to speech-making and crowd-handling. Both candidates have compelling personal stories, but they use them differently.

Obama, the son of a Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas, speaks often of growing up on food stamps, while McCain, who spent more than five years in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp, shies away from talking about his time as a POW.

The candidates' styles are largely manifested in their campaign structures.