McCain Paying Attention To Ohio
PARMA, Ohio -- The latest poll shows John McCain with a 35 point lead over Mike Huckabee in Ohio, so why is the GOP front-runner here?
Because even though he almost has the Republican nomination wrapped up, a general election showdown with Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton is just around the corner. And Ohio is sure to be key battleground.
No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio. Even though President Bush narrowly won here in 2004, the state is now in the crosshairs for the Democrats after both the governor's mansion and a senate seat changed party hands after the 2006 elections.
McCain made several stops around the Cleveland area yesterday, one day before the Democrats take center stage for their last debate ahead of the crucial March 4 primary. He will be around the Cincinnati area today.
He made news at the start of his trip after a town hall meeting in Rocky River, Ohio, outside of Cleveland, when he starkly tied his candidacy to the Iraq war, saying that if he couldn't convince the public that U.S. strategy is succeeding, "then I lose."
He later tried to "retract" the specific "I lose" part of the quote on the campaign bus, but the sentiment remains. He explained the statement to CBS News' Andante Higgins: "I quickly retracted that. I was not allowed to retract it obviously. I don't mean that I'll 'lose.' I mean that it's an important issue in the judgment of the American voters and I hope that clarifies … it's not often that I retract a comment. I retracted the finality of that statement, I think that the issue of the war in Iraq is important to the American people and it will be a major factor in their determining who they are going to support in the election in November."
The candidate later greeted supporters at the Colonial Eatery in Parma, another suburb of downtown Cleveland. He made brief remarks and shook hands with an enthusiastic crowd inside, and then posed for pictures with the assembled police officers on patrol for the event before heading back on the bus.
I spoke with a few of McCain's supporters outside.
Mike Troy, 59, said he supported McCain both in 2000 and again this year. He said he likes McCain because of his record of service to the country and what he'll be able to achieve. "The candidates all talk the talk, but John McCain walks the walk," he said.
Troy added he thinks it will be a close race in Ohio whoever wins the Democratic primary, but that the key is for McCain to make himself available to the public to get his message out.
Misha Riveros-Jacobson, 44, an executive at Alcoa, and her son Devan Jacobson, a 20-year-old student, do not fall within traditional Republican demographics, but represent groups that McCain must reach out to in the general elections -- Latinos and young people.
They were holding signs outside the restaurant that read "McCain" and "me gusta" (I like), to "let him know he has support from the Latin community."
Riveros-Jacobson said she likes McCain's chances in the fall in Ohio. She was encouraged by what he said earlier in the day and his ability to manage the agenda to his experience. "I think he is getting his message across" she said.
Her son thinks McCain will also be able to pull support on college campuses as well, saying that Obama is vague whereas McCain is more explicit. "Students will be drawn to cold hard facts," he added.
But it was not just supporters of McCain at the diner. A group of 10-15 supporters of Republican long-shot candidate Ron Paul were holding signs and passing out flyers just across the street.
Amy Kolenz, 42, said she was "completely detached from all politics" until she watched Paul on YouTube about a year ago. Although he's been written off by many, she emphasized his grassroots support and said that she believes Paul will continue to collect delegates and then fight for the nomination at the Republican convention in September.
But if Paul doesn't win the nomination, would she then support McCain? Kolenz said in that case she just won't vote in November.
