From The Road
October 25, 2008 1:05 PM

Looking to Turn Red States Blue, Obama Campaigns in the West

By
Maria Gavrilovic
Topics
Barack Obama
(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(RENO, NEV.) - Barack Obama is back on the campaign trail today, after taking a day and half off to visit his ailing grandmother in Hawaii. Obama landed in Reno early this morning to be in place for a rally at the University of Nevada. He will also campaign in Las Vegas, Nev., and Albuquerque, N.M., later today.

Obama's swing out west is an indication that the campaign is becoming increasingly confident in the days leading up to the election. On a conference call yesterday, campaign manager David Plouffe, said their goal is to ensure a victory in the states that John Kerry won in 2004 and then to expand the map. Kerry lost both Nevada and New Mexico in 2004, but the latest poll numbers show Obama leading McCain in both states.

Despite the boost in poll numbers, Plouffe said the campaign expects the race to be tight. "Our whole strategy has been predicated on the fact that these battleground states are going to be decided very narrowly, that's what we're preparing for," he said, adding, "That's the kind of operation we built in these states - an operation that can help us win a very close election."

Part of the plan is to generate a high voter turnout in states that have early voting. In Nevada, voting began on Oct. 18, and according to numbers released by the Obama campaign, 53% of the 201,637 ballots were cast for Democrats. This compares with only 32% cast for Republicans. Similarly in New Mexico, 56% of all votes cast were for Democrats and 33% were for Republicans.

Plouffe said he is encouraged by the early turnout in Nevada in particular and believes that Obama can win here.

"The state's changed a lot in the last four years, we now have, we estimate, over 110,000 voter registration advantage in Nevada after having a deficit four years ago," Plouffe said.

However, he was quick to add the caveat that the election is still over a week away.

Add a Comment
by tsmith125213 October 26, 2008 4:58 AM EDT
Obama has met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on promises of hope and change. He has shown a cool head and sound judgment. He has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus essential to finding solutions to this nation%u2019s problems. Collin Powell''s endorsement confirmed his cross-over appeal. McCain has retreated farther and farther to the far-right fringe of American politics, running a campaign on partisan division, class warfare and even hints of racism. His policies and worldview are mired in the past. The differences are profound. McCain offers more of the Republican laisez-faire every-man-for-himself ideology, now lying in shards on Wall Street and in Americans%u2019 bank accounts. Obama has another vision of government%u2019s role and responsibilities. Its no wonder states are thinking intelligently and red to blue is the consequence.
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by swingstate2 October 25, 2008 9:15 PM EDT
Barack Obama will cut taxes for 95% of working families, and provide at least three times as much tax relief for middle class families as John McCain and Sarah Palin. The Obama plan provides $1,000 of tax relief for workers and new tax benefits to help families pay for college, childcare and save for retirement.

According to this plan, I will save $1,000 in taxes and may be eligible for college assistance for my daughter''s college tuition. AND I get a tax credit on my retirement savings.

This is a plan I can live with. GO OBAMA!
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by hungry4goodg October 25, 2008 8:40 PM EDT
Here''s the deal...Sen. McCain will get the votes of ultra super-hardcore Republicans who vote for a party, not a candidate. Sen. Obama gets not only the votes of Democrats, but he is picking up the votes of all the people that the McCain campaign shuts out (i.e., I''m an independent who always votes for a person, not a party, hence...McCain lost my vote).
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by olandug-2009 October 25, 2008 7:05 PM EDT
Obama seems to have a Teflon quality because the American public is hesitant to criticize an African American. If Obama were white, he would have been crucified a long time ago. All Obama says in his speech is empty hyperbole. But his past actions and associations clearly demonstrate a hatred for this country. If you were an Anti-Christ, isn''t this how you would do it?
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by mltucker3 October 25, 2008 6:45 PM EDT
With out the people, that the democratic socialist party call rich. There won''t be any jobs. Looks like to me anyone with half a brain could figure that out. Let Osama Obama distribute his own wealth first. AIN"T GONNA HAPPEN!
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by mltucker3 October 25, 2008 6:38 PM EDT
I want to see the legal birth certificate that makes Osama Bin Obama a legal US citizen. All this guff making Obama untouchable is nothing more then an attempt by the democratic socialist party to take our country over.
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by rsamps1 October 25, 2008 6:24 PM EDT
note to 7oneamerican: rob from the working class?!? Hardly. It''s the republican way to beat back labor, drive down wages, make all jobs part time, temporary or outsourced, to maximize corporate & executive profiteering. Crush any dissent?!? Again, the republican way to exaggerate minor issues of their opponents, deflect & deny valid criticism of their own crimes and misgivings, then have the gonads to call the media liberal, which it most certainly is not (not unless Fox News, Clear Channel, the Wall Street Journal, Disney/ABC & most of the rest changed hands in the last few days!)..Nice try!!
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by rsamps1 October 25, 2008 6:21 PM EDT
So Mccain is worried that the democrats will be in control of congress & the white house. Big deal. Repubs still over-control the supreme court. & the dems aren''t likely to abuse their power like the repubs did when they controlled everything between 2000-2006. Non-issue!
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by javalation October 25, 2008 5:43 PM EDT
OneAmerican7 telling another one of the silly Republican fairy tales, that only the truth challenged cons believe. The rest of us are voting to get your arses out of office.
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