General-election race dominated by apologies, policy shifts and lipstick

With six weeks to go, the presidential race is about to enter a crucial stretch that will be dominated by three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.

Or will it?

{mosads}The general election has been wildly unpredictable as Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) have grappled with the Russia-Georgia conflict, hurricanes, an energy crisis and the collapse of major investment firms.

McCain changed his position on offshore drilling and Obama shifted on troop withdrawal in Iraq.

High-profile supporters of both men have made controversial statements, only to backtrack and apologize later.

After McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, referenced lipstick in her speech at the GOP convention, Obama used the “lipstick on a pig” phrase when discussing McCain’s policies.

McCain-Palin supporters cried foul; Obama denied he was referring to Palin.

After trailing Obama throughout the summer, McCain and the Democratic nominee are engaged in a dead heat. There are 14 battleground states where Obama’s or McCain’s lead is five percentage points or fewer and 18 states within 10 points, according to polling averages on RealClearPolitics.com.

Obama enjoys small leads in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Colorado, while McCain has a slight polling edge in Ohio, Florida, Nevada and Virginia.

The first presidential debate is scheduled for this Friday.

A recent timeline of significant events on the presidential campaign trail follows.

June

• Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) concedes primary to Obama.
• Jim Johnson, who served on Obama’s VP vetting team, leaves campaign because of lobbying ties.
• In shift, McCain seeks to end offshore drilling ban.
• Poll shows independents split between Obama and McCain; Obama holds slight national lead but has big leads on most issues.
• Obama apologizes after campaign volunteers order women wearing headscarves to move out of view of cameras.
• Breaking his vow to accept public financing if opponent did, Obama opts out.
• McCain adviser Charlie Black says another terrorist attack would help McCain, subsequently apologizes.

July

• Obama campaign announces the Democratic senator will deliver his nomination speech at Invesco Field in Denver.
• Obama denies that he has shifted his position on Iraq.
• Rev. Jesse Jackson apologizes for making crude remark about Obama.
• McCain adviser and former Sen. Phil Gramm says country is in “a mental recession” and the U.S. has “become a nation of whiners.” Gramm subsequently resigns from McCain campaign.
• Cover of The New Yorker depicting Obama and his wife Michelle doing a fist-bump attracts controversy.
• Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki publicly backs Obama’s Iraq withdrawal plan; Bush administration subsequently agrees to “time horizons.”
• Obama travels to Iraq and Afghanistan and later addresses over 200,000 people in Berlin.
• Republicans charge that media coverage greatly favors Obama.
• Obama competing in red states, such as Indiana and Montana.
• July is the least deadly month in Iraq since war started.
• Citing Paris Hilton, McCain campaign chides Obama’s “celebrity” status.
• McCain campaign accuses Obama of injecting race into presidential campaign after Obama says he “doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.”

August

• Obama endorses Senate “Gang of 10” energy proposal.
• Russia-Georgia conflict escalates.
• Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) admits he had an affair.
• Obama VP selection intensifies as Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) and Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) are considered to be leading contenders.
• Speculation builds about McCain picking Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) as his running mate. Other contenders include Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R).
• McCain can’t answer when asked how many houses he owns.
• Obama picks Biden.
• During Democratic convention, union leaders express concerns that, because of racism, some of their members will not vote for Obama.
• Obama friction with Clintons dominates beginning of Democratic convention — until both Sen. Clinton and former President Bill Clinton praise Democratic nominee in their respective speeches.
• Obama accepts his party’s nomination in Denver.
• In stunning surprise, McCain picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) to be his running mate; GOP base is energized by McCain’s choice.

September

• Palin announces her daughter is pregnant; McCain campaign scolds media for its coverage of Palin and her family.
• Hurricane Gustav postpones early activity of the GOP convention.
• Lieberman strongly criticizes Obama during GOP convention speech.
• McCain accepts his party’s nomination in St. Paul, Minn.
• McCain enjoys bigger post-convention bounce than Obama.
• Polls show race is a toss-up as McCain pulls away in red states that were previously close.
• Obama comment about lipstick on a pig creates uproar; Obama camp denies he was referencing Palin.
• Bill Clinton predicts Obama will win handily.
• Democrats ridicule McCain comment that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.
• McCain adviser Carly Fiorina says neither McCain nor Palin are qualified to run a major corporation.
• Financial crisis deepens as Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers poised to collapse.
• McCain says he would fire Securities and Exchange Commission head Christopher Cox.
• Warning of dire consequences, Bush administration calls on Congress to pass its bailout plan quickly.
• Obama critical of Biden’s initial comments on AIG bailout.

Anna Martin and Brendan Sasso contributed to this article.