Emboldened Obama to push into firmly Republican states

[kskiska]

Source: The Guardian

Buoyed by success, Democrats to force cash-strapped McCain to defend safe areas

(McCain "tongue" photo)

Barack Obama, emerging from the third and final debate against John McCain with his momentum unchecked, yesterday opened up new fronts in the November 4 election battle by expanding into normally bedrock Republican states. Although he warned his supporters at a fundraising breakfast in New York against becoming too cocky, the Democratic candidate is pursuing a strategy that could see him take states that George Bush won with ease in 2000 and 2004.

Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said after the debate in Hempstead that Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden, were now considering visits to states such as Montana and North Dakota, once considered beyond reach. "I think it is fair to say that we are thinking of going into states we were not sure of at all earlier," said Axelrod. "Some things are opening up for us here that no one fully anticipated."

Other states coming into play include West Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia. Obama's campaign team said yesterday it would begin to broadcast new ads in these states. Even if they prove to be beyond Obama's reach, his campaigning will force the cash-strapped Republicans to spend money and effort defending states they once took for granted.

(snip)

The prospect of Obama and Biden going to North Dakota shows how much ground he has made since the summer, when he pulled campaign staff out of the state, calculating there was little prospect of taking it. Between them, Montana and North Dakota account for only six of the 270 electoral college votes Obama and McCain need to win the White House - a fraction compared with a battleground such as Ohio, with 20 electoral college votes.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/17/uselections...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That's great news!

[TerribleLarryDingle]

2. Spread the Love

[ananda]

3. I wish he's push into Texas.

Sigh

[livelongandprosper]

4. Kentucky???

I don't buy that. Racist idiots all over the place there.

[blackspade]

5. there are racist idiots everywhere

Kentucky does not have a corner market on racists.
Obama will take the area around Louisville with ease.

[EFerrari]

6. There ARE racist idiots everywhere. Once, a very sweet young married guy

on my block told me he was afraid Obama would only "take care of" black people.

The thought was so strange, I couldn't even make my mouth work for about a minute. Then I just told him, "Don't worry. His mother was white."

lol

Because seriously, how do you talk to people like that?

And you know something, I'm not even sure that most people on this block are white, lol, and this kid is a well liked neighbor. Things that make you go

[knixphan]

7. 'how do you talk to people like that?'

If you find out, let me know! One of the great mysteries....

[EFerrari]

8. I just remembered, my neighbor is married to a Filipina

and his two best friends are Latinos. So, in his own life, he does fine with people.

But somehow, he let the RW media (?) convince him that Obama is some kind of race warrior? So bizarre!

[knixphan]

9. And yet, if you ask them to provide ONE quote by O which proves this...

They'll probably refer to a wingnut talking point instead...

[alsame]

10. Agreed. There are racists here in NY, for sure.

[ACTION BASTARD]

11. Barack, what is good in life?

Crush your enemies,
See the driven before you,
And hear the lamentations of the GOP.