A funny thing happened on the way to work today. I turned on my car radio to WBBM-780 AM to get a listen to the local headlines before the lcoal progressive talk station (WCPT-820 AM) came on the airwaves, and I heard a radio ad from Barack Obama in which he explained the benefits of his healthcare plan.
Why is this funny? Because I work in Chicago.
As you would imagine, Barack Obama does not have to visit Illinois anytime soon for a rally in order to get votes - he had this state locked up when he announced his candidacy last year in Springfield. The reason why Obama is on my Chicago radio station is that he is taking advantage of the media market that crosses the Illinois borders. WBBM-780 AM can easily be heard north of Madison, WI - and that may help to pad Obama's current lead in the battleground state - but more importantly it can be heard clear into the very red state of Indiana.
At least, Indiana used to be red. The tide seems to have turned, however, as record voter registration numbers are leaning in the Democrats' favor. The Chicago Sun-Times has an article exploring the opportunities that Democrats have in Indiana, and as recently as a few weeks, ago, an Indiana poll has Obama ahead in the state by three points. According to RealClearPolitics.com, A recent CNN/Time poll had McCain up by five, while a Research 2000 poll had the race tied.
Now, while it is clear that Obama still has work to do in the rural areas of the state, it should be noted that he can make up ground by over performing in areas such as Northwest Indiana, where residents get the majority of their news from the Chicago media market. Many observers of the Democratic Primaries will be able to remember the nail-biting finish of the Indiana primary; though Obama lost the state by just a handful of votes, the numbers were not completely counted until around Midnight due to Obama's performance in the areas close to Chicago and surrounding Gary, IN. Obama's near-victory in Indiana (a state no one expected him to compete closely in), coupled with a blowout in the North Carolina primary, practically solidified Obama's path to the nomination.
Another place Obama needs to over-perform in is the areas surrounding Indianapolis - an area where Obama holds a rally today at the State Fairgrounds. According to the IndyStar, this is Obama's 46th campaign stop in Indiana (40 of these came during the primary) compared to just two stops for the McCain campaign. The IndyStar also points out that McCain has spent zero dollars in advertising in the state, while Obama has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising and opened up 43 campaign offices.
The last time Obama organized this well in a state which touched Illinois that voted for Bush in 2004 was during the Democratic Primaries in the state of Iowa, and we all remember how that turned out. Sheer ignorance from the McCain campaign to compete in the state of Indiana just might yield a similar outcome.