Obama Today
CLEVELAND -- Barack Obama delves into the blue collar region of the state today, where he will meet with workers at the National Gypsum Plant in Lorain County. All workers at the plant are members of the Boilermakers Union, whose endorsement Obama picked up last week.
Ohio has continues to suffer from job losses and high unemployment rates in the 1990s. According to Policy Matter Ohio, a non-profit, non-partisan research group, over half of the job loss that occurred in the state can be attributed to the shift of manufacturing jobs overseas. Between 1998 and 2003 alone, the state lost 200,000 jobs.
Obama has been touting his economic plan, which includes tax cuts and a renegotiating trade deals, on campaign stops through out Ohio. At a Cleveland rally last night, Obama said the economy is not working for American people.
"When CEOs are making more in ten minutes than ordinary workers make in an entire year, Obama said, "Something is wrong, something has to change. We want some fairness"
The campaign is confident that Obama's message will resonate with blue-collar workers in Ohio. Ohio communications director, Ben LaBolt, said previous races indicate that Obama can be competitive across all demographics.