May 6: Watch GOP voters in IN
Posted: Friday, May 02, 2008 9:26 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
2008, Primaries
INDIANA: The Wall Street Journal looks at just how influential GOP voters could be on Tuesday in this state’s contest. "Several factors suggest that Republican voters may be attracted to the Democratic primary this year, including an open-primary scheme that allows voters of all political stripes to cast ballots, a settled nominating race on the Republican side and a downticket slate that includes few cliffhanger races to interest the Republican faithful. As one Republican Party official put it, ‘when the circus is in town, people want to go to the circus.’”
More: "Friday, Sen. Obama's campaign will introduce three prominent Republicans who are supporting the campaign: John Clark, a top aide to Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is running unopposed in the primary; William Ruckelshaus, a former Nixon administration lawyer whose family has deep ties to the state; and Jim Benham, president of the state's National Farmers Union.”
And: "In a state that hasn't elected a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, the lure for these Democrats is strong. Sen. Clinton, who appeared this week on the show of conservative television talk-show host Bill O'Reilly, has a fair-weather champion in the form of radio conservative Rush Limbaugh, who has been urging Republicans for weeks to join an ‘Operation Chaos’ and vote for the New York senator in states that have open primaries."
The Indy Star looks at how local black ministers are pushing to get the vote out for Obama.
The Boston Globe notes Evan Bayh's efforts to win Indiana for Clinton. If he does it and Clinton ends up the nominee somehow, then she's got a lot of current and former govs she'll have to put on her supposed short list: Bayh, Rendell, Strickland, and Easley. "In Clinton's most important recent primary victories, she has had a Democratic state boss rallying party regulars to her side: Governor Ted Strickland in Ohio, Governor Ed Rendell in Pennsylvania. It is now Bayh's turn to play kingmaker. And though it is unclear whether he can deliver as successfully, in public and behind the scenes, he has been using his name, his political muscle, and his instantly recognizable face to draw Hoosiers to Clinton's cause.”
While the national media may assume Bayh has a death grip control of the Indiana Dem Party, apparently some of these high profile endorsements for Obama are about "sticking it to" Bayh, writes Indy Star columnist Matthew Tully. "Many state Democrats have privately complained about feeling pressure from the Bayh camp to support Clinton, or at least to not endorse Obama. Others believe Bayh has lost touch with up-and-coming Indiana Democratic politicians during his time in Washington.”
The Indy Star, meanwhile, endorsed Clinton.
NORTH CAROLINA: As we mentioned earlier, a new Research 2000 poll has Obama up by seven points in the state, 51%-44%. “The poll also shows that younger voters (ages 18-29) heavily favor Obama 67 percent to Clinton's 29 percent. On the other hand, those over 60 chose Clinton by a margin of 59 percent to 35 percent. Overall, Clinton leads for those over 45 years old while Obama leads all younger sets. Women also chose Clinton by a slight margin over Obama, 49 to 47 percent, while men chose Obama 56 percent to 38 percent for Clinton.”
And let’s not forget Guam… The Wall Street Journal: "Sen. Clinton and her husband are reminding voters about their multiple visits to Guam during stopovers on presidential trips to Asia in the 1990s. ‘She's been here, and she knows us,’ says Rena Borja, who is spearheading Sen. Clinton's Guam campaign operation of about 20 volunteers. Sen. Obama is pointing to his upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia. ‘I learned firsthand about the unique issues facing Pacific island communities,’ he said in a letter to Guam residents that was published in local newspapers.”
“The Obama campaign has opened an office in Guam, a first for a presidential campaign, and has three paid staffers with personal ties to the island. The Illinois senator won the Hawaii caucus in February 76% to 24%."
