Obama Makes Obligatory "Daily Show" Stop as Dem rivals campaign in Nevada

August 21, 2007— -- Does the Road to the White House go through Hell's Kitchen?

It certainly seems that way as presidential candidates from both parties travel to the "Daily Show" studios in Manhattan to kiss the rings of host Jon Stewart and try to score political points with the young, hip audience.

Wednesday night it's Barack Obama's turn to try and match wits with Stewart – his first Daily Show appearance as a presidential candidate.

It's a tough gig – act too hip and come with too many jokes and a candidate risks looking fake. Playing it straight? Not even an option. The trick is finding that middle ground where a candidate can show they are a regular person who can take a good ribbing from Stewart and show flashes of wit and humor.

A successful "Daily Show" appearance can result in clips replayed on a loop on the cable networks. The only way a candidate can get wider exposure on TV is to get a role in Disney's High School Musical 3.

Today it was the Illinois Senator's wife who was in the headlines. Last week, Michelle Obama said at a campaign event, "If you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House."

Hmmm – a zinger in the direction of the Hillary Clinton and her house? That's what Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jennifer Hunter, thought – and Drudge quickly seized on that as his lead headline today.

Not so fast, says Team Obama. ABC News' Rick Klein reports that the Obama campaign and the candidate himself are saying "Don't read more into Michelle Obama's 'importance of family' comments last week – she was not talking about the Clintons."

"Anybody who's been listening to Michele on the stump," Senator Obama explained on a conference call with reporters, "She's talked about the importance of family, and the need for our family to be sure that we're thinking about our kids during the process of this campaign.

On the campaign trail with the Democrats…Hillary Clinton spends another day in Chappaqua, New York with no public campaign events.

Obama is in New York City all day. In addition to his Daily Show appearance, he will attend a community organizing meeting at the SEIU Local 1199 at 2:30 pm ET and a "Brooklyn for Obama" event at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott.

Maybe John Edwards is not giving up on the Silver State after all? (At the very least, he is keeping up appearances.) One week after his campaign said it was relocating staffers out of Nevada and into New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa, Edwards tours the UNLV Solar Site and holds a media avail in Las Vegas.

Bill Richardson was quick to jump on the news of the Edwards Nevada pull out. That same day, the governor highlighted his commitment to campaigning in the West and announced seven new Nevada hires. Tomorrow Richardson gives a 2:10 pm ET speech to the Nevada AFL-CIO Convention in Reno and later attends an Opportunity 08-Nevada forum hosted by the Brookings Institution and the University of Nevada, Reno. He ends the day in Fernley at a meet and greet at Fernley High School.

Joe Biden also heads west to Nevada and speaks at the Nevada AFL-CIO state convention at 12:30 pm ET and participates in the Brookings/UNR forum at 5:00 pm ET.

As for the Republicans…

Rudy Giuliani holds a rally with supporters in Del Mar, Calif. And delivers remarks at 8:40 pm ET. Del Mar is awfully close to the California/Mexico border – will the Romney campaign take this opportunity to keep fanning the "sanctuary city" flames?

Mitt Romney attends a fundraiser in Jackson Hole Wyo. at 7:00 pm ET

Fred Thompson raises campaign coin in Nashville Tenn. at 8:00 pm ET at a private home.

Mike Huckabee eats and campaigns in South Carolina. The former governor attends a 7:30 am ET breakfast in Greenville, and a 12:00 pm ET lunch and media availability in Spartanburg.

Tom Tancredo is in Denver Thursday and has no public events.

President Bush delivers 9:55 am ET remarks to Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Kansas City, Mo. He overnights in Crawford.

POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM:

ABC News' Donna Hunter reports: Dodd Says Fed Has FailedLINK

ABC News' Brian Wheeler Reports: Biden to Drop New TV AdLINK

ABC News' Matt Stuart reports: Romney Attacks "Sanctuary Cities"LINK

ABC News' Rick Klein reports: Obama: Nothing PersonalLINK

ABC News' Brian Ross Reports: CIA Blame Tenet for 9/11 FailureLINK

POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:

Road Trippin' with Edwards: ABC's Rick Klein gets on the bus with John and Elizabeth Edwards.LINK