Now candidates look beyond base

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It was jarring when only a few minutes into his convention speech Sen. John McCain announced to thousands of assembled Republican delegates, “I don’t work for a party.”

It shows the lengths to which McCain is willing to go to distance himself from the Bush administration.

McCain’s emphasis on his record of stepping across party lines was markedly different in tone from the partisan punch lines delivered expertly the night before by vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the most galvanic moment of the GOP convention.

Both McCain and opponent Sen. Barack Obama pledge to transform Washington.

Victory may go to the candidate that is most successful in convincing voters they can deliver on that promise.

Primaries are mostly focused on political parties. General elections focus more on those in the middle of the political spectrum.

McCain’s biggest disadvantage is that he has been part of the majority party that has controlled both Congress and the White House for most of the past eight years.

His advantage is that he has a reputation as a reformer and a maverick willing to break with his party to work with Democrats.

“I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not,” McCain said.

Obama used his convention speech to hammer at McCain’s ties to the Bush administration, pointing to a record he says shows McCain voted in support of the president 90 percent of the time.

“I’m not willing to take a 10 percent chance on change.”

During coming months, voters will have ample opportunity to examine the substantial policy differences between the two candidates on issues ranging from the war on terror to energy policy to health care to taxes and spending.

They’ll have time to reflect on the compelling personal histories of both candidates and how their life experiences would shape and guide their decisions as president.

But the focus and tone of McCain’s remarks signaled the start of a new phase in the campaign that has been ranging for a year-and-a-half. The candidates must keep their bases energized, but from now on the candidates will be gravitating more to the middle-of-the-road voters.

The campaign so far has been remarkable, producing tickets that guarantee a precedent-setting election. There’s more to come.

There’s little doubt that Americans are frustrated with Washington, with approval ratings for Congress and the Bush administration hovering near all-time lows. Americans want change. Now they need to decide what kind of change would be best for the country.