Obama campaign expects close race in Missouri
Conventional wisdom holds that the Barack Obama campaign approaches Missouri like city slickers, hoping big margins in St. Louis and Kansas City offset the rest of the state.
Not so, says David Plouffe.
“We’re competing for votes in every corner of Missouri,” the campaign manager for Mr. Obama told the News-Press Thursday night.
That includes Northwest Missouri. While the large cities and the southern reaches of the state have gotten attention from presidential hopefuls of both parties, they’ve mostly missed the scenery north of the I-70 corridor.
“I think you’ll see our ticket up in that corner of the state and all throughout the state,” he said in a phone interview from St. Louis shortly before the vice presidential debate.
Only a couple of weeks ago, Missouri Republicans hinted the Obama campaign would be pulling resources from the state, conceding the 11 electoral votes to GOP nominee John McCain.
Shifting polls, however, now find Missouri back in play for the Obama forces. Mr. Plouffe offered his theory.
“If you’re a middle-class family struggling out there,” he said, “John McCain is simply going to offer you more of the same Bush economic policy.”
He added, “Working people of rural communities simply can’t afford another four years of these (policies).”
Specifically, the campaign manager said, Mr. Obama’s plan would shore up rural hospitals, ensure the extension of broadband technology to all parts of the nation and bolster education in small communities.
The Obama team has 41 offices open throughout Missouri and claims 2,500 neighborhood team leaders. It hopes to register 75,000 new voters in the state by Wednesday’s deadline.
“This is good for democracy,” Mr. Plouffe said of the registration effort. He also believes it will serve his candidate in a state race where new registrants might make the difference.
“We think Missouri is going to be really close, so the margins are going to matter,” he said. “The primary came down to a few thousand votes. We think the general election could be that close.”
As important, he stressed, is the grass-roots network that has taken shape on behalf of the Democratic nominee.
“They’re not sending kids from (Washington University) to St. Joseph to talk to them about the campaign,” Mr. Plouffe said. “We think neighbor talking to neighbor is a pretty powerful thing.”
Ken Newton can be reached
at kenn@npgco.com.
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God d, I detest politics. Both sides are way too misleading & even downright dishonest, especially when it comes to TV debates. Tune in to any cable channel & you'll see how much each side misled during the VP debate.
What we really need is a drastically new/updated government to keep up with this new century, especially since computers are so prevalent/mass communication is so accessible.
Yup we need a new version: The United States,ver 2.0.
We need to nip corruption & the black market in the bud.
Any ideas?
Here's a couple: For one, let's raise the pay of the prez a couple million per year, & also drastically raise the pay of all other high level government officials. But for this drastic raise, we demand total accountability & *no lies or partial truths*. The only way I can think of to accomplish this is to have them to agree to wear shock collars that would just fry their little pin-heads right off their bodies instantly if & when they lied or cheated us.
Another idea would be to have three presidents at once: Dem, Repub, & Indie, or something along these lines.
We need drastically updated checks & balances to keep these rat bstrds from screwing us.
For example, the 1 to 2 HUNDRED BILLION that was tacked onto this "bailout" would be a good place to start.
We need to publicly identify each & every one of these creeps who basically ransomed our country in it's time of crises, in order to get this bailout passed. And they need to be shown the door, at the very least...
That being said, I can hardly believe the Republican party is actually asking America to TRUST them to "shake up Washington" when in fact "Washington" really means "Republican rule for the last 8 yrs."
Are they fooling you by calling it Washington? I hope not.
That's like trusting another wolf to guard the sheep the last wolf didn't guard.
Need a refresher? Watch this:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-N8_u1FLu30
You decide.
Posted by azmaggie on October 4, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)The mess we are in now is because THE DEMOCRAPS voted against regulation of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mack!! Now they are trying to blame it on Bush!!! I really think Congress should have a tow term limit just like the president. That being said I say we need another Truman!!! Where is he at?
Posted by shockedandamazed on October 4, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)Did anyone hear about what was going on in Ohio yesterday. I quess you could register to vote and also vote early. A college news team caught Obama suppporters driving people and telling them to vote for Obama.
Posted by devinbroncs123 on October 4, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)Maggie I swear I see weird comments from you all the time. It's the dems fault that we are like this huh? Give me a break. It's the entire governments fault that we are like this. Dems and republicans. Since you're making a direct attack on dems Ill have to defend. What was the majority party in the US House when regulation proposals were passed? REPUBLICAN!!!
Posted by azmaggie on October 4, 2008 at 11:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)THANK YOU
Posted by Notz on October 4, 2008 at 1:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)Maggie:"I say we need another Truman!!!"
Boy & howdie to that!
One thing W outdid Truman on though (from Wiki):
"At different points in his presidency, Truman earned both the highest and the lowest public approval ratings that had ever been recorded (George W. Bush eventually earned more extreme numbers in both directions.)"
I think maybe Perot would've come as close to that as any since Harry, if only he hadn't chosen that "Who am I, where am I" headcase for a running mate... Anyway, he's probably older than great, great,great grandpa McCain now, so...
What I can't figure out is why so many Americans don't see Obama in the same light as the rest of the World does. Everyone wants him in.
I see him as being the one with the best skillset to steer us back to a country of "We The People" again, but what do I know...
Of course Europe & the rest of the World for a very long time now has contented the U.S. has the most hoodwinked population of the entire planet, when it comes to politics.
Posted by azmaggie on October 4, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)I do not want a man that will not honor the flag or the national anthem to lead my country. Of course the rest of the world wants him in office: they cannot wait to see the good old USA fall!! He will make all kinds of promises to them that he can't keep just like he is doing to the voters!! I do not trust him at all.
Posted by scrubnurse on October 4, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)C'mon Maggie give us a break!! If you honestly lack the intelligence and believe that Obama doesn't honor the flag or isn't a true American then I feel sorry for you! That BS has been going around in emails etc. for months and is just that....BS. Quit with the excuses and just admit you are a dyed in the wool republican and will not vote for him!
Posted by azmaggie on October 4, 2008 at 8:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)On the issue of promises-- sad but true, he isn't doing anything different than most politicians who make promises they cannot keep........Just like your beloved McSame!
scrubnurse: NO I HAPPEN TO BE A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT!!! And I have been for many, many, years. But that does not mean I have to vote for obama. I vote for the person I feel will do the best job.
Posted by azmaggie on October 5, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)Nerd: I guess obama used his god powers to contact you.
Thank You nerd. You have a good weekend. Yes we do have some disagreements but just think how boring this world would be IF we all agreeded on everything!
Posted by scrubnurse on October 5, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)Maggie.....So you are calling yourself a "Registered" Democrat, yet in a previous post you called them "DEMOCRAPS". HMMMMMM Also I'd like to know first of all where you "register" to be a Democrat and secondly if you ARE indeed a Democrat why you haven't attended any of the meetings, rallies ect for the democrats?
Posted by azmaggie on October 5, 2008 at 5:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)I do agree with you on voting for whom you feel will do the best job, however let's just agree to disagree on who we each think that person happens to be!!
And just how do you know I have not attended any of the meetings???
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