When in Doubt, "It's the Economy, Stupid"
(CBS)
CINCINNATI -- Hillary Clinton continues to make her case for the presidency from the dusty Southern border of Texas to the snowy plains of Ohio this week, and although both states could not be more different from one another geographically and demographically, there is one thing that unites potential voters: the economy.
A campaign advisor for the Clinton campaign tells CBS News that the economy is “a top-of-the-mind issue” across America, particularly in Ohio and with bread-and-butter issues on the minds of voters, it is important for Clinton to live by the now famous expression “it’s the economy, stupid.”
“Ohio is diverse like Texas, but the economy is a top-of-mind issue all over the state. We're organizing in all 18 congressional districts to turn out working people who see Hillary as their best hope for an economic turnaround,” said the advisor.
The key for Clinton? Getting these traditionally swing voters to turn out for Clinton. In 2004, President Bush was able to gain the support of more conservative, so-called "Reagan Democrats" than John Kerry was able to pull moderate Republicans. In this case, it her campaign is courting those Democrats and over the past few months, polling has indicated that Clinton is receiving the support of this group.
“Hillary has very deep and strong support among working-class Democrats, who have actually been a swing vote in presidential elections. They say that she understands their concerns about the economy, and they have confidence that she can turn it around. They must be energized to turn out for the nominee, so it's very good for Democrats that they are so motivated to vote for Hillary,” the campaign advisor added.
When asked about the differences between Ohio and Texas voters, the campaign advisor said, “She's popular in Texas, so our job is more about mobilization than persuasion. We're focusing on turnout of women and Hispanic voters, who are very energized for Hillary.”
Today, Clinton continues to drive home the point that she offers “solutions” on a variety of issues while criticizing Barack Obama for only offering “speeches” and more “rhetoric.” The campaign says that during her first stop in Cincinnati she will focus on “credit cards and exorbitant interest rates.”
It’s worth noting that one thing the Clinton campaign is good at doing is staying on message. So when they say it will be all economy all the time, we can expect it will.
