“My friends,” McCain began, with a verbal tic that conveys a sense of closeness with his audience….

Oh, that’s what that is? Thanks for the explanation, AP, tucked in an article chronicling “18 hours” on the campaign trail with McCain which begins (cringe):

For a guy who spent time in the “Hanoi Hilton” as a Vietnam prisoner of war, the Four Seasons Hotel has to feel a world apart…

Get your “18 hours” with Obama here. Both candidates are making time for local reporters and cold-shouldering the “national media pack.”