RICHMOND
Michelle Obama's second swing through Virginia in as many months is another sign that strategists for her husband's presidential campaign believe the state's 13 electoral votes can be won by the Democrat this November.
Her planned appearances in Richmond and Charlottesville on Wednesday continue a recent trend of regular visits to the Old Dominion by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and some of his key surrogates.
Since August, Obama, his wife, or his vice presidential nominee, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, have each campaigned in Virginia.
Those frequent visits, coupled with the 42 campaign offices speckled across the state, are encouraging signs to Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder, an Obama surrogate, who urged him to spend time in Virginia.
"I literally said to him, 'Go into the rural areas. Let them see you, let them feel you, let them know the real person that you are," Wilder said Monday during remarks defending Obama against Republican attacks.
"And I can tell you," Wilder said, "that we're going to reap the benefits of him having gone there, from people seeing him, knowing that they're not being taken for granted."
Also campaigning for Obama this week in some of the more rural parts of the state is another former governor, Republican Linwood Holton, who will be joined by his daughter, Virginia first lady Anne Holton.
Sen. John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee, had been less publicly visible than Obama in the state until last week, when he and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, appeared at a Fairfax rally that drew thousands.
While Obama has spent more time here this summer, McCain campaign officials say the GOP nominee understands the importance of the state and will be present here in the remaining days of the race.
"You can anticipate a lot of activity from the McCain campaign in the next 50 days," said spokeswoman Gail Gitcho. That likely will include additional visits by McCain and Palin, she said.
It remains to be seen what dividends the candidates' respective investments in the state will pay in the election. Polling of state voters seems to shift almost by the day: Last week McCain was up in Virginia; this week Obama has the lead.
"What's important is the average," Christopher Newport University political science professor Quentin Kidd said of poll numbers. "And the average shows a dead heat."
Those numbers allow Republicans to continue to expect to carry Virginia, as they have in every presidential contest since the late 1960s, and gives Democrats hope that they can swing it into their column, he added.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1567, Julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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noon
Please explain
911 Commission for economic crisis
Senator McCain is going to solve the economic crisis with a 911 Commission he refused to listen to. Dead or alive Bush Junior said. I'll chase Bin Laden to the gates of hell McCain said, but he won't even go to his cave and get him.
McCain can solve the economic crisis with the 7 lobbyists he has on his campaign staff. They can then give more money to the rich and continue to tax the middle class. Bush Jr. Economics 101....I'm sure everyone is running out now to sign up for that class.
Gertz point
I think you're a bit confused and/or you don't know your left from your right.
HA! this is rich!
"If the pope got gas you would say it is McCain's fault at this point. It makes no sense."
This is truly a rich comment. As Republicans continue to blame Bill Clinton, and it never made any sense, now they want to complain about Democrats for using the same amo at McCain. Oh Lord, this one made my day.
Not possible
No one can fix a problem which involves bonds(mortgages) not being paid. You have to create jobs. This is simply a kneejerk partisan reaction. Why is it that some people think a man who is more time in college than in goverment can fix such a complex issue? I would have to say the 'left' is the side losing ability to reason. Your just desperate. If the pope got gas you would say it is McCain's fault at this point. It makes no sense.
We, the taxpayers, just gave AIG a loan of $85 Billion
and some of you are spreading the lies of the NY Post (Rupert Murdoch, Fox Noise) trying to scare people into voting for a unqualified ticket. Palin is Dick Cheney in a dress and McWorse knows less about economics than Bush. If you want four years of an economic policy written by Phil Graham, whose Senate work lead to the Wall Street Meltdown, then you know who to vote for..
However, I want to see some smart solutions to our economic problems and Obama/Biden is that ticket!
"lost capacity for reason"
"The right has lost the capacity for reason-- just look at the evidence below. They're rabid. Time to put the lot of them down to save the rest of us."
Let's hear more about that claim, and while you are at it lets hear why you support McCain/Palin.
Look at the smear and fear
Look at the smear and fear tactics, so typical of surrogates for the radical right, exhibited below. That baseless trash and the bottom feeders that serve it up are the legacy of the modern republican party. Do we really want four more years of those self-serving lies, artificially prominent wedge issues and the politics of hate? Some of you do because you've been frightened by all this bluster and 8 years of smoke and mirrors. Some of it is simply self-serving hate. Very little of what these right wing radicals say is reasoned or reasonable. The right has lost the capacity for reason-- just look at the evidence below. They're rabid. Time to put the lot of them down to save the rest of us.
Obama vs McCain's voting record
Obama and Michelle have good reasons for talking to the military community. Obama volunteered for the Veterans Affairs Committee from the first day in the Senate, like Hagel and Webb. McCain did not serve a day on the Committee. McCain voted against adequate rest between deployments, voted to gut or eliminate veteran's health care funding again and again, voted against establishing a trust fund to improve military health facilities such as Walter Reed, went to a fundraiser in California rather than vote for the GI Bill introduced by John Warner, Webb and Hagel.
The Republican party is no longer the party of Reagan. McCain cannot even get the support from his fellow Republican colleagues. I voted for Webb in 2006 and will vote for Obama in 2008.
Crack is wack but Obama is worse.
How can any sensible person support this Obama? He has zero substance, zero experience, and zero potential. Heck, Brett Hume just announced that the rumors that Obama supported a bill to teach sex education to kindergarden aged children was in fact true.
Just goes to show that this Obama fellow has no substance and will simply do the bidding of the highest bidder. Mr. Obama you disgust me.
PWC Gal or GOP GA GA?
What is your affinity for the GOP? They have treated veterans, especially wounded veterans like dirt. What about the rank and file who have to go on public assistance (a liberal notion that you most likely disdain) just to support their family? Please tell me why you are filled with such devotion to this party that sent 4,000+ to their deaths, because its' leader George W. Bush was upset with Sadam Hussein's assassination attempt on his father. Are you comfortable with that level of arrogance? Your party MUST be held accountable for its' sins!
conservative socialist republicans
Big coercive government's best friends. Don't be fooled by their pseudo libertarian masks.
The same tactics used again...
And on Sept 15th, Mr. Rosenberg of WGN, invited Mr. Freddoso, who wrote, "The Case Against Barack Obama" as a guest, and a counterpoint guest to defend Obama's side. The Obama campaign issued another action wire, at first, demanding that people call and try and prevent the interview from taking place, and then, to try and subvert the interview.
Interestingly, when Mr. Rosenberg had a guest on who wrote a book supportive of Mr. Obama, no such "Action Wire" was issued.
I think military members need to be aware of these tactics. Even though this happened in Chicago, the behavior is telling. What is Mr. Obama afraid of? I cherish my liberty and right to free speech, and will not yield to anyone. Isn't it ironic that the Obama campaign is looking for votes in the military community, while actively trying to stifle free speech?
Obama's campaign actively tries to suppress free speech....
The Obama campaign has identified the Tidewater as a "must win", and is going to great lengths to try and convince area voters (esp. the large military population) that it has the interests of military members and their families at heart.
However, Obama's tactics to try and suppress dissent and free speech (removing negative comments from blogs, YouTube, etc) has been stepped up a notch, with the coordinated attempt to try and prevent individuals who are critical of Obama from having the right to air their concerns in open media.
The first wave was against Mr. Kurtz, who is trying to investigate Mr. Obama's relationship with Bill Ayres, the domestic terrorist, and the Annenberg Challenge of Chicago.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-obama-wgn,0,3744149.story
mccain should be proud also
Look at the lobbbyist working his campaign.
The Facts
The "story" about Obama trying to keep the troops in Iraq came out in an op-ed piece by Amir Taheri for the NY Post. The fact:
"[Obama] said he told Zebari that negotiations for a Status of Forces agreement or strategic framework agreement between the two countries should be done in the open and with Congress's authorization and that it was important that that there be strong bipartisan support for any agreement so that it can be sustained through a future administration. He argued it would make sense to hold off on such negotiations until the next administration."
The Status of Forces Agreement is used to clarify the legal terms under which a military is allowed to operate, and has nothing to do with troop withdrawal. Google it.
Obama has a lot of explaining to do...
I would like to see an investigation into Obama's decision to go around the chain of command and attempt to negotiate/threaten/intimidate the government of Iraq to withhold negotiating a framework for the drawdown of troops in the theatre.
Obama has alot of nerve thinking he is going to get support and votes from the families who have loved ones who are in harm's way, and deeply resent his blatant attempts to exploit troops for his own political ends. Shame!
Secondly, I would like an investigation into the connections between Obama, Fannie/Freddie, his ties to ACORN and the current financial meltdown. How is Obama going to explain away one of the Democrats most-favored social engineering projects resulting in the destruction and unwinding of some of America's most venerable financial institutions.
Time for Obama to begin the duck-and-weave. The question is, is the press going to ac
No Bama-No Biden.
No Bama-No Biden. Don’t believe a word former Governor Wilder says. He was probably the worst Governor this state has ever seen. Ask yourself, why is he supporting Obama.? Since being elected Mayor of Richmond, he has been at odds with that Council. Contentious and overbearing are excellent synonyms for Wilder. Failed to keep promises. He even evicted the local School Board out of their offices in the middle of the night. How is that for a supposed leader? Richmond should be glad he is not running again. No Bama-No Biden.
America a third world country?
Four more years of Republican "leadership" and America will be a third world country. $200 billion dollars a year to set up a Shia government in Iraq allied with Iran? No thanks! Bring the troops home and save that $200 billion dollars for America. Go Obama!
Regardless
I have my favorite as well :>, but whomever God allows to be placed in office, we need to lift him and his family up in prayer. Let's remember that Bush is still in office, so he needs prayer as well.