Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are confronting a sharply abbreviated general election campaign season, the product of the late nominating conventions and a boom in early voting in tightly contested states.

This shortened timetable is forcing both campaigns to recalibrate the pace of television advertisements, accelerate voter turnout operations and tailor the candidates’ travelling schedules to accommodate states where voting is imminent. 

While it is just eight weeks until Election Day, even that schedule overstates how much time the presidential nominees have to win over voters. More than 30 states allow some form of early voting, forcing the campaigns to deal with a rolling series of Election Days. Iowa, a crucial state, will begin voting on Sept. 23, less than three weeks after the end of the Republican convention marked the traditional start of the general election sprint. 

“I think it’s unprecedented, a whole new way of looking at elections,” said Tad Devine, a Democratic strategist who is not involved with either campaign. “A combination of the late conventions and the way early voting is becoming even earlier around the country is going to have a big, big impact.” 

Aides to Mr. McCain, Republican of Arizona, and Mr. Obama, Democrat of Illinois, are devising state-by-state advertising strategies so that their close-the-deal messages — typically kept in reserve until the last 10 days before Election Day — are released to coincide with when people are reaching their final decisions. The old advertising formula was to begin after Labor Day with soft biographical advertisements introducing the candidate, followed by commercials drawing sharp contrasts with the other side, and closing with the strongest argument. But that formula is obsolete, aides to both candidates said. 

The travelling schedules of the candidates, spouses and running mates are being adjusted so they front-load the time spent in states where, practically speaking, there is not much time before people begin to vote. Both Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain were in Ohio on Tuesday, on-the-ground evidence of the fact that this state will for the first time permit early voting in presidential elections. Voting starts Sept. 30. 

Turnout operations that once would not have kicked into high-gear until the weekend before Election Day are about to be revved up and will remain in operation to accommodate the elongated period of early voting, posing new expenses and complications. The campaigns are using computer models — studying past voting trends along with consumer and demographic data — to try to identify people most likely to be early voters, and press them to vote. 

“We are now less than 30 days from people voting,” said Steve Hildebrand, a senior adviser to Mr. Obama. “Easily one-third of the people are going to vote before Election Day.” 

Campaigns Adjust Their Pace To Meet Short Season 

meanwhile …..

Democrats may not want to believe it but there is fresh evidence that the addition of Sarah Palin, the 'hockey mom' Governor of Alaska, to John McCain's ticket is winning him women voters in droves. 

In a tidal shift that could prove decisive, enormous numbers of women who previously favoured Barack Obama have had their heads turned since the introduction of Mrs Palin, according to a new ABC/Washington Post poll. 

The Palin phenomenon shows no signs of fading, in spite of a drip-drip of news revelations that hardly flatter her. Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that after becoming Governor in 2006, Mrs Palin started charging taxpayers a 'per diem' allowance for days she spent in her private home in the town of Wasilla, where she was once mayor, instead of in the mansion in Juneau that she has never cared for. 

Women Voters Flock To McCain Despite New Palin Disclosures 

whilst elsewhere …..

Last week, Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate, introduced herself to the Republican National Convention by asking a question: What’s the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom, which is how she typically describes herself. 

“Lipstick,” she said, in the line of the night. 

Here in Lebanon today, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois also made his own lipstick allusion, drawing on a very old aphorism as he belittled attempts by Senator John McCain and Republicans to embrace the change mantle that has been central to his campaign.

“John McCain says he’s about change, too – except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not change. That’s just calling the same thing something different. You can put lipstick on a pig – it’s still a pig.” 

Shades Of Lipstick Tint A Race

and for anyone interested, here’s a US Election Issues Guide