Obama Signals Fight For Western States

Democratic Candidate Begins Campaign Swing Through New Mexico, Colorado And Nevada

(AP)  It's the first event on the first day of a campaign swing through three Western states, and Barack Obama is covering all his bases.

He's got patriotism, a Memorial Day event for veterans. He's got cowboys, the location is the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum. He's got Hispanic voters, Gov. Bill Richardson introduced him. He's even got a nod to the environment: The Organ Mountains loom behind him as birds sing and the warm New Mexico wind blows.

Obama is signaling, even before the Democratic primary formally wraps up, that he intends to fight this fall for Western states that narrowly went Republican four years ago.

New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado aren't definitely Democratic blue or Republican red. Instead, they're known as "purple states" by political junkies.

Together, they account for only 19 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. But those votes could be vital in a close race, particularly if Obama's weakness among white, blue-collar voters carries over from the primary race and cuts his chance of winning some other states where Democrats usually do well.

"We're going to fight as hard as we can in these states. We want to send the message now that we're going to go after them and I expect to win them," the Illinois senator said Monday.

President Bush won New Mexico over John Kerry four years ago by the tiniest of margins - 49.84 percent to 49.05. His margins weren't a whole lot bigger in Nevada (50.5 to 47.9) and Colorado (51.7 to 47).

The Obama campaign hopes that anger at Mr. Bush, combined with changing demographics as new voters move to the region, will nudge the states into the Democratic column.

Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, called the three states "fertile ground" for Obama, particularly if he courts Hispanic voters with Spanish-language ads, personal appearances and attention to their concerns, such as immigration reform.

Hispanic voters have been a weakness for Obama during the primaries. Many have sided with the more familiar Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and there are questions about whether some Hispanics are reluctant to back a black candidate.

But Richardson said Obama can overcome that.

"As soon as he meets them, he builds support with them," Richardson said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's a personal connection. They see a young man similar to John F. Kennedy. They see a minority like them. They see somebody who was brought up bi-culturally."

Richardson also said that the growing number of service-industry jobs and high-tech jobs in some parts of the West are bringing more Democratic-leaning voters to the region.

Still, he acknowledges these purple states won't be easy for Obama, whose caucus performance this year in the three states was mixed.

Obama lost narrowly to Clinton in the Jan. 19 Nevada caucus, lost the popular vote to Clinton in the Super Tuesday New Mexico Democratic caucus, but won handily in Colorado's Democratic caucus, also on Feb. 5.

If he wraps up the nomination, Obama will face John McCain, a senator from nearby Arizona, a military hero and a familiar face on the national stage for years. Many swing voters may feel more comfortable with McCain than a Hawaii-born, Harvard-educated, big-city law professor.

McCain said Monday that Obama "has no experience, no knowledge or background" on Western issues.

"I believe as a Western senator I understand the issues, the challenges of the future for these ... states, whether it be land, water, Native American issues, preservation, environmental issues," McCain said in an interview with the AP.

Obama said he needs to introduce himself to all Western voters, not just Hispanics. Issues like improving the economy, ending the Iraq war and providing universal health care will appeal to everyone, he said.

"I'm absolutely confident that we're going to do very well west out here because people out west are independent-minded and are going to look at whether or not over the last eight years the country is better off under Republican rule. I think they're going to conclude they're not and they want fundamental change, something that I'm offering and John McCain is not," he said.

Obama talked about veterans issues in a rural setting on the first day of his swing. Next up is a discussion of the housing crisis amid the sprawl of Las Vegas. Then comes a town hall meeting at a Colorado school for the arts.

[dante805]

Obama the Great Liar: or as the media would say the great mis-stater: Small Town Americans are %u201Cbitter%u201D and %u201Ccling%u201D to Guns or Religion. %u201CTypical White People%u201D quote More Blacks are in Prison today than in college Abortions are better than being %u201CPunished" with a baby His flat declaration that lobbyists %u201Cwon''t work in my White House%u201D changed after it turned out his own written plan says they could, with some restrictions. Told a story of how his Kenyan father and his Kansan mother fell in love because of the tumult of Selma, but he was born in 1961, four years before the confrontation at Selma took place. Obama exaggerated the death toll of the tornado in Greensburg, Kansas, saying 10,000 people died %u2013 he was only off by 9,988. He was trying to tie the deaths to the lack of National Guard heavy equipment because of Iraq %u2013 also incorrect. Said he was a law professor at the University of Chicago. He was not. He was a senior lecturer at the school. I visited 57 states and have one left to go; Alaska and Hawaii.

"I had an uncle who was part of the first American troops to go into Auschwitz and liberate the concentration camps.%u2013 Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet forces as they marched across Poland in January 1945, not Americans %u2013 maybe his uncle was in the Red Army %u2013 he sure is.

[anappleadae]

In the West Obama will win Washington. California is up for grabs. Many Repubs and Independants voted for Obama. In the General Election they will vote for McCain, because voting for Obama in the primary helped secure the weaker candidate''s nomination. Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, North and South Dacota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas all are in the Republican column. Midwest it looks like Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinios will go to Obama. The South East is McCain Territory with Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The District of Columbia and Tennessee go to Obama. Ohio, Pennslyvania, and Indianna will go to McCain. New York and New Jersey may go for Obama depending on the Hispanic and Jewish vote. Conneticut along with New Hamshire will go to Obama. The rest of the New Enland states with the exception of Vermont going to Obama are a toss up. Prediction; McCain wins easily and the Dems spend a lot of money while falling on their sword. Why? The treatment of Florida and Michigan in the primary. The likely hood of Florida and Michigan going for McCain or not voting at all is very strong.

As an Idependant I expect the memdership of both these parties to experience a sharp decline in the next four years. The Independants are going rise from this political chaos with unbelievable power. Its all good.

[myshiba]

Americans are finally waking up and seeing that obama is brainless, clueless, and incompetent; just like they did for bush and the iraq war, the msm (with assistance from the DNC)is attempting to ram obama down our throats (unvetted and filled with lies and deception); IT WON''''T WORK THIS TIME BECAUSE WE ARE HIP TO THE CON!

[bobmarisol]

''...there are questions about whether Hispanics are reluctant to back a black candidate.''

-------

Yet another example of the liberal media calling people racists just because they dont like Obama.

[DCropp]

Anyone notice that Hillary and Bill said "every" poll shows Hillary as the best candidate, but never looked at Real Clear Politics.

Real Clear Politics poll average is considered the best indicator among polls, because they average multiple polls.

These are among the 20 battleground states...
Ohio 20 EV (both Obama and Hillary win)
Pennsylvania 21 EV (both Obama and Hillary win)
New Jersey 15 EV (both Obama and Hillary win)
Washington 11 EV (both Obama and Hillary win)
California 55 EV (both Obama and Hillary win)
Minnesota 10 EV (both Obama and Hillary win)
Florida 27 EV (Hillary wins, Obama loses)
Michigan 17 EV (Obama wins, Hillary loses)
Wisconsin 10 EV (Obama wins, Hillary loses)
Iowa 7 EV (Obama wins, Hillary loses)
Oregon 10 EV (Obama wins, Hillary loses)

Summary, the only state that Hillary wins that Obama does not is Florida. Florida is worth 27 Electoral votes.
On the other hand, Obama wins Iowa, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Michigan. Obama''s four states are worth 44 Electoral votes.

I only noted states where there is enough polling information to provide an average and states where a Democrat leads. If the limited polls from other battleground states are used, Obama maintains his lead over Hillary in Electoral votes.

[joe1022joe]

In a year when Gore or Kerry would have waltzed into the White House, the Democratic Party in another of their periodic suicidal fits have put forward the only two candidates that couldn''t win against John McCain no matter what the eventual nominee says or does. It''s amazing. They have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

[jack3213]

Obama makes Dan Quail look like some college professor. When a script writer has not given him some slick pargraphs to read from and Obama has to speak off the cuff, he shows again and again how little knowledge and intelligence he has. SCARY that this human has the utter gall to think that he is qualified to be chief executive of the greatest country on earth. Clinton is not qualifed or experianced just becasue her husband was President- an impeached President no less.
MCCAIN 2008- there is really no other choice.

[rowdywicca]

Obama needs to get his old uncle out of Poland first before he even tries to find the western states...all 57 of them.

Strange his elite Harvard education never taught him US soldiers didn''t cross the Rhine until after Austwitcz was liberated, or that the march across the bridge in Selma wasn''t until four years AFTER he was born! Kindof makes you wonder what it taught him about the Constitution, doesn''t it?

But then, I guess it''s pretty much expected from a man who just likes to re-write history to suit whatever suit he''s wearing that day.

Tomorrow he''ll be telling that he secretly served as special ops in Viet Nam and was the last soldier flown out of ''Bejing'' in the evacuation.

[brianbwb-2009]

"This is still white America. If Obama wins the
nomination, I will vote for McCain." Posted by bookout2

Good for you, now run along over to the kkk sites, there you''ll find people who care.

[jsilver2th]

The closest county here is forever red Bush Country- for the first time in history it is now majority Democrats with huge huge primary turn-out-

[ubrew12]

Good for Obama. The Western States aren''t NEARLY as blatantly racist as the Southern and Eastern States.

[bookout2]

This is still white America. If Obama wins the
nomination, I will vote for McCain.

[trbundro1277]

As much as I hope Obama would be the first black president, I think Hillary has a way better shot of winning in November than Obama! Hillary can win Tx, AR, OH, Michigan, FLorida, Pa, West Virginia, CA, NJ, NY, MA, so why do we all think Obama should still be our candidate if he can''t win the swing states. Have a Clinton/Obama ticket and we would win every state, except maybe Montana, where Cheney is from..lol!

[jsilver2th]

ERoosevelt08:

"Said he''d meet with every head of state, which includes the terrorist ones without preconditions? Now he''s flip flopping and says there would be preconditions....."

This shows how ignorant people can be...

A "head of state" is not a "terrorist" because terrorists are by definition stateless or operating without authority of a state...

We close enough for E''s purposes I guess- smear Obama regardless of fact...

[jsilver2th]

ERoosevelt08:

"Said he''d meet with every head of state, which includes the terrorist ones without preconditions? Now he''s flip flopping and says there would be preconditions....."

This shows how ignorant people can be...

A "head of state" is not a "terrorist" because terrorists are by definition stateless or operating without authority of a state...

We close enough for E''s purposes I guess- smear Obama regardless of fact...

[mcvet]

RE-LIVE CARTER - VOTE BAMA!


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Posted by badaxmofo at 08:06 PM : May 27, 2008
+ report abuse

Re-Live Bush vote McCain!! ROFLMAO

[mcvet]

So the moral is: if you are of mixed race and have sorta tan skin and an afro-ish hair-do, you better like being considered/called "Black"

Good thing we still have these labels or ending racism would be nearly impossible...LOVE THAT LIBTARD LOGIC!


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Posted by badaxmofo at 08:11 PM : May 27, 2008
+ report abuse

You know YOU are one bootlicker who hasn''t changed ONE thing...well except for the Name of the canidate for almost 10 years now! It would seem, after the WORST in our HISTORY, you''d find a new line. I mean WHO in their right mind actually LISTENS to you freaks anymore??? After Sir Lies-A-Lot and the MESS left by the Republican Party that is?? Thank you but NO thank you!!

[shipwrcksoul]

ShipwreckSoul here,
Will Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or even John McCain seek answers in prayer from God once elected? Or will they want to do it their way, the self way? The corn now is being used for making gas? This is driving up the cost of everything else? What should we do? Humble ourselves as a nation and seek God to bless us?

[eroosevelt08]

And how about Mrs. Tony Rezko''s land deal where the Obamas got way more than they paid for when they bought their ritzy home.

Sorry. Obama conceded that it was a ''boneheaded'' thing to do. But doesn''t he still have the house???


Said he''d meet with every head of state, which includes the terrorist ones without preconditions? Now he''s flip flopping and says there would be preconditions.....

Oh great, PLEASE NOT another flip-flopper..


Sorry!

Sorry!

Sorry!


Sorry!
At a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon, Obama claimed to have visited 57 US states during the campaign.

Sorry!

Obama outspent Hillary everywhere and she still beat him in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania and other big states. Obama is afraid of what the Florida and Michigan delegates would do to him. Obama does not campaign fairly. How can people in Florida and Michigan support him after how he as pooh poohed their votes?

Super delegates: Switch to or back to Clinton so we can fix this Democratic train wreck before we are SORRY IN NOVEMBER!



We are so lucky that Senator Clinton has remained in the race.

[eroosevelt08]

Like a little kid, Obama does something wrong and then he says ''Sorry!''. We all know people who say ''Sorry!'' and do not really mean it.


Speaking on his feet on May 26, 2008 Obama did not know the difference between Auschwitz and Buchenwald. But on May 27, 2008 he is

Sorry! That will not help him win the Jewish vote or impress other world leaders with his grasp of the world.

Maybe that comes from his debate admitted practice of only looking at a piece of paper 2 minutes before he needs it. Maybe Obama should think more for himself. After all, he is a lawyer who graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 although not with highest honors. (Not summa *** laude).

And what about his twenty year association with Reverend Wright? The Republicans have a target on Obama with this:
On March 18, 2008, Barack Obama said in his famous ''race'' speech: I can no more disown him Jeremiah Wright ) than I can disown my white grandmother.''

Then, on April 29, 2008 Obama threw Reverend Wright under the ''bus'': What? Was Senator Obama in a coma for 20 years? Did he sleep through the sermons? Was he even there? His story that he ALL OF A SUDDEN figured out what Reverend Wright is about insults everybody''s intelligence. If he is that dense, why on Earth would anybody want to vote for him?

Sorry.