| As part of its Fifty-State Strategy, the Obama campaign has pledged to deploy staff to every state in the Union. But pundits are watching closely to see where closely trusted and experienced staff members end up, which led to one surprise this week: Team Obama has assigned one of its most valued campaign staffers to the state, reports the Indianapolis Star. The staffer, Emily Parcell, was political director for Obama in Iowa, where the Illinois Senator secured a huge win that essentially put him on the path to the nomination.
The Obama campaign says it shows they're taking the state seriously. However, as Taegan Goddard notes, political experts think that the Obama team doesn't really believe this and is merely messing with the minds of the McCain team. Like New Hampshire a traditional bastion of conservative government surrounded by bluer states, Indiana has been trending slightly more blue in recent cycles. And let's not forget that there are several crucial House races and a key Governor's race there this cycle. As was explained to the New York Times: His aides and advisers said they did not believe Obama necessarily has a serious chance of winning in many of the traditionally Republican states, but rather that he can at least draw Mr. McCain into spending time and money there while also swelling the rolls of Democratic voters and supporting other Democrats on the ballot. Some voter registration efforts in key parts of the state might give McCain a run for his money and might secure the three new House Democrats elected from Indiana in 2006. And who knows, boosting African-American Democratic turnout in Northwest Indiana might just put a little fear in the powers that be in Indianapolis to change the way they govern. These are sensible choices for a presidential nominee to make who isn't interested not only in winning but in building a congressional mandate to pass his agenda, we're just not used to politicians making (or having the resources to make) these kind of long-term, far-sighted calculations. |
