McCain heads back to New Hampshire, then abroad

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain's campaign has a plan to keep him in the public eye while providing what aides hope is a contrast with the Democrats who are still fighting for their party's nomination.

Having sewn up the Republican nomination, McCain will head to New Hampshire next week for a town hall meeting, his first return visit to the state that propelled his comeback.

Then, McCain advisers say he will travel abroad in an effort to show his readiness on foreign affairs.

He'll travel to Europe and visit with allies and leaders of key countries in the Middle East and elsewhere, campaign officials say.

When he returns to the states, McCain's team plans a tour to tout his biography and service.

Advisers say Americans know he was a Vietnam POW but don't know many of the details that go along with that.

"Many people know McCain as the maverick senator, but we don't presume that they know the entirety if his remarkable life story and how that prepared him to be president," said a senior McCain adviser.

One of the themes they hope to play up is McCain as an inspirational figure, but someone who inspires because of his background and experience, not "platitudes" as McCain likes to say about Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

In April, McCain will give a series of policy addresses on everything from national security to the economy, advisers say.

On the economy, McCain's campaign is working on a plan to remedy the perception that the economy is a weak spot.

Adviser and former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm is working with aides to devise the economic plan, a campaign official said Thursday. An adviser familiar with the planning insists it will be "bold," but would not provide other details, saying the planning is still fluid.

Another top priority of the McCain campaign will be making the transition from a small band of advisers to a large, structured organization capable of pulling off a national run.

His efforts, according to Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, will also focus on solidifying support among conservative Republicans, the majority of whom backed candidates other than the Arizona lawmaker in the primaries, according to exit polls.

"John McCain is going to be very focused on our base and the people that he wants to have in full force behind him," she said.

McCain campaigned in Florida on Thursday with Gov. Charlie Crist, a popular politician largely credited for McCain's strong win in the Florida primary on January 29 and suggested as a vice presidential possibility.

McCain said the process of selecting a running mate is just getting under way.

"Obviously have just begun that process and we in fact have not even outlined how we're going to go about this. ... We're looking at how that process was conducted by other candidates and nominees of their party," McCain said.

Former presidential candidate Bob Dole agrees with that strategy.

"It's so early ... I doubt if he's even looking," Dole told CNN's Larry King on Wednesday. "I remember in '96, we still weren't certain with four or five days to go. ... So one thing that McCain has is a lot of time to take a long, hard look."

Dole said McCain needs to pick someone "who's ready to do the job if anything should happen" -- and someone younger. Watch more of Dole's comments »

"Someone younger than he is, somebody, you know, who probably knows the ins and outs of how the government works," Dole said.

If elected, McCain, 71, would be the oldest president in U.S. history.

When asked if age will be a factor, Dole said a recent poll showed "88 percent didn't think age was a factor." E-mail to a friend

CNN's Dana Bash and Carol Cratty contributed to this report.

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