Obama Is Mapping a Nationwide Push in G.O.P. Strongholds

New York Times:

Senator Barack Obama's general election plan calls for broadening the electoral map by challenging Senator John McCain in typically Republican states -- from North Carolina to Missouri to Montana -- as Mr. Obama seeks to take advantage of voter turnout operations built in nearly 50 states in the long Democratic nomination battle, aides said.

On Monday, Mr. Obama will travel to North Carolina -- a state that has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 32 years -- to start a two-week tour of speeches, town hall forums and other appearances intended to highlight differences with Mr. McCain on the economy. From there, he heads to Missouri, which last voted for a Democrat in 1996. His first campaign swing after securing the Democratic presidential nomination last week was to Virginia, which last voted Democratic in 1964.

With Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton now having formally bowed out of the race and thrown her backing to him, Mr. Obama wants to define the faltering economy as the paramount issue facing the country, a task probably made easier by ever-rising gasoline prices and the sharp rise in unemployment the government reported on Friday. Mr. McCain, by contrast, has been emphasizing national security more than any other issue and has made clear that he would like to fight the election primarily on that ground.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[PSRinNJ2]

If Bill Clinton hadn't used his veto pen, we would be getting oil drilled from Alaska today, when we need it most. You think there is very little oil there because you've been told that by Bill Clinton, the Democrat Party, and all of the anti-American enviromentalists who are more concerned with saving a non-threatened, non-endangered polar bears than the well-being of their country.

[barackobama4prez]

Here's a general question to anyone who wants to answer:

Has this election made you want to get involved in your local cities and states?

I'm in Austin, TX and will be working very hard this fall to get Mr. Obama elected. I plan on driving people to the polls come election day, but I know I have to get out the vote before then. I'm planning on being an activist for Senator Obama. I have never been active in politics before. I'm fired up! Ready to go...

[XME]

I never have before either, but it definitely has inspired me to this year. I live in VA, and since he's hoping to "turn it blue" this year, I've signed on to volunteer for registration drives, etc.

[JJK]

Personally, I just want to win, so I'm wary of the 50 state strategy when it seems that the path is clear: hold Kerry's states with an all-out focus on Pennsylvania and Michigan; pick up 18 Electoral Votes by some combination of Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Nevada and Virginia; make McCain spend to defend Ohio, Florida and Indiana. Visiting places like North Carolina, especially if it helps down-ticket, is fine in June, but I sure hope that Obama or his major surrogates aren't spending too much time there after Labor Day.

[JoanieNC]

Yep...get him out of our state.

[bish66]

Yesterday's Rasmussen http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/south_carolina/election_2008_south_carolina_presidential_electionn) clearly shows that Obama's dream of redrawing the map is not more than a dream.

McCain-Obama 48-39, in a state that he easily won in the primaries.­Obama did worse than Clinton in most southern states. There is not one state where he has a lead against McCain, while Clinton would have won Kentucky, West Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and Arkansas, some even with huge margins.

More bothering than the 9 point trail is the category favorablity. 60% see McCain favorable, 49 are for Obama. 36% have a "very unfavorable" picture of Obama.

In a state with lots of black voters.

In a state where 530.000 voters participated in the Democratic primary and some 440.000 voted in the Republican primary.

[Mogamboguru]

Hey, t r o l l - cherrypicking again?

Try THIS one:

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Sunday, June 08, 2008

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows B a r a c k O b a m a ’s bounce growing to an eight-point lead over J o h n M c C a i n. O b a m a now attracts 48% of the vote while M c C a i n earns 40%.

When “leaners” are included, O b a m a leads 50% to 43%. On Tuesday, just before O b a m a clinched the nomination, the candidates were tied at 46% (see recent daily results). Data from Rasmussen Markets gives O b a m a a 95.2 % chance of winning.

O b a m a leading M c C a i n nationwide by 8 percent and has a 95.2 % chance of winning the presidency­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!

Don't mess with the power of the net, t r o l l !

[antaeus]

Also from Rasmussen today:

"Obama is supported by 81% of Democrats and now holds a _very modest_ [emphasis mine] three-point edge over McCain among unaffiliated voters. Both those figures reflect a significant improvement over the past week. McCain attracts 83% of Republicans Still, 30% of all voters either have no preference at this time or could change their vote before Election Day. (see other demographic notes)."

Even twice as many more exclamation points won't talk this election home. Just for the sake reality, doesn't it make sense to acknowledge that the election is going to be a tad closer than partisan exuberance might suggest? After all, a "bounce" is by definition temporary.

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

Except Michigan. Except Kentucky. Except West Virginia. Except Florida. Except South Dakota. ...

[Yuma]

No, Hillary will be there for us.

[antaeus]

But will her voters?

[whizkid]

We already had an actor as president.
And he knew his lines.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/06/08/the-incomplete-candidate-cannot-complete-a-sentence/#more-2999

[SmellyOne]

Auld end wite isn o goud fer thes el ect io n.

[Yuma]

Really?

[Chandidevi]

Let the clip roll for awhile...g­uess who is a member of the Bilderberg Group? http://www.infowars.com/?p=2596

[ThunderclapNewman]

Large quantities of tin foil are bad for your health.

[whizkid]

Chandi
For One-hundred Alex.
Who is Barack Obama?

[osage]

McCain won't garner 200 Electoral College votes and he'll lose the popular by double digits. The fifty state strategy is the best way to energize disenfranchised Democrats, grow the party and maximize campaign contributions, but I doubt that anyone, including Howard Dean, could have foreseen the toxicity of Bush's presidency and how comprehensively it would damage the Republican brand. The traditional Red vs. Blue state landscape will not hold true this election. Obama will win Ohio and Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Colorado and New Mexico because the Republican campaign will be forced to spend too much money in states like Virginia, Indiana and Missouri to hold on to states that were once considered securely Red. McCain's disadvantages are the Iraq fiasco, his support of Bush's failed policies both international and domestic, general disdain for Republicans, a lack of campaign contributions and an extraordinary Democratic opponent. By the time the November election rolls around it will so obvious to Republicans that McCain is going to lose, they stay home and not waste their time voting.

[tuttlemsm]

Unless this country is really, really, really racist. I hope to god it's not, but we'll find out. In fact, I think this election will be a referendum on how racist we are, because all things being otherwise *equal*, the Democratic candidate has probably never been so vastly and obviously superior to the Republican candidate in modern memory.

[antaeus]

Wow. You think McCain is worse than Bush?

[Chris]

So it begins already. If you do not vote for Obama than you are a racist.

What if you are one that does not believe in higher taxes. Should you vote for Obama?
If a person believes in limited government. Should you vote for Obama?
If a person beleives that you should reward successful people and business not punish them? Should they vote Obama?
If a person believes that you should not enter negotiation with any foreign state without precondition? SHoudl that person vote for Obama?

None of those topics have to do with race but yet I am racist becuase I would not vote for Obama. What a joke.

[ghd]

Best political slogan ... ala Alfred E. Newman ... remember him????

"Better to have a flammy in the whammy than a dropsy in the snide!!

That says it all. Probably causes some politicians to cry publically.

[HumeSkeptic]

Oh! for heaven's sake. OK. I'll try this:

T-0m D-e-l-a-y says that 0bama must prove to him that he's not a M a rxi st.

H!llary thinks he's not, as far as she knows.

M c C ain says he's definitely not. He never saw 0bama at a Cong reunion.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
(That slepen al the nyght with open eye)
So priketh hem Nature in hir corages
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.

[HumeSkeptic]

ffghjk uytr ui sdfg yui!

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Bifil that in that seson, on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
At nyght was come into that hostelrye
Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye
Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.

The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
And wel we weren esed atte beste.
And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
So hadde I spoken with hem everichon,
That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
And made forward erly for to ryse
To take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.

But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
To telle yow al the condicioun
Of ech of hem, so as it semed me -
And whiche they weren and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were inne;
And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.

[SCG]

I'll bet that flew up in seconds.

[ghd]

Damn, Middle English gives me a hardon .. LOL

[FilthyPerson]

God bless Barack Obama.

[williamg]

HuffPost moderator = D.ick Ch.eney

[SCG]

Sure all you so called filter experts...­"don't use the candidate names". It's the last time I'll mention Millard Fillmore.