McCain has minimal L.A. campaign

Shortly after becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee last spring, John McCain packed a downtown hotel ballroom with Southern California GOP faithful who cheered his political triumph in the heart of what was once Reagan country. Tony Castro in the Daily News.

But several months later, McCain has been all but an absentee candidate in the Southland, prompting the popular blog LAist to wonder after his recent campaign swing into other parts of the state: "Why did John McCain avoid Los Angeles?"

It is the same question of the McCain operation that has been asked even by some of his followers in the San Fernando Valley - especially as the local Barack Obama grass-roots campaign in recent weeks has regularly scheduled bake sales, house parties, voter registration drives and other activities.