Western Wisconsin key for Obama, McCain to win
MADISON, Wis. (AP) To win Wisconsin, John McCain and Barack Obama know they have to do well with independent-minded voters in eight counties that border Minnesota along the Mississippi River.
Voters in the area have supported Democrats at the top of the ticket, including John Kerry and Al Gore in the past two presidential races. But they also frequently elect Republicans to serve in the state Legislature and in local offices.
They are the coveted independents. Obama will make his pitch to them at a stop Wednesday in downtown La Crosse.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political science professor Joe Heim says western Wisconsin is a toss-up area within a toss-up state.
Both Obama and McCain's campaigns say they need to do well there to win Wisconsin.
Oct 1, 2008 at 12:23 p.m.
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If there are poll junkies and are following this election closely, check out www.fivethirtyeight.com for daily updates on projections. They guy that runs the website, Nate Silver, has recently been interviewed by various radio, cable TV, and newspaper outlets. It is also a good website if you are a statistics nerd.
Oct 1, 2008 at 11:12 a.m.
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totellthetruth, you'd better do a lot of hoping the next 34 days. It looks more and more like McCain is going to get creamed -- a nice reward for eight years of incompetent leadership and for one of the most hapless national campaigns I've ever seen as an adult, vice-presidential pick inclusive.
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As of today Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio are all too close to call -- a big change from two weeks ago when they were looking like McCain territory. The thing is, Obama was already winning the electoral vote WITHOUT those states. The Democrats are in a very interesting position this year. For the first time, they may be able to win the electoral college without one single southern state. The Reagan/Atwater "Southern Strategy" to turn conservative Southern Democrats into Republicans succeeded but didn't count on the South no longer being necessary for a win.
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Yet if the election were held today, Obama could well win states like Virginia that haven't voted for a Democratic president in decades.
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It's a demographic lesson for the Republicans, who brought an unprincipled boob to power and expected to win forever.
Oct 1, 2008 at 9:38 a.m.
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NPR reported today that polls show Obama with a big lead in Ohio. I guess he's finally reaching that threshold of credibility needed.
Oct 1, 2008 at 9:34 a.m.
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janesvillean, we can only hope that you are wrong...
Sep 30, 2008 at 8:50 p.m.
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I believe this will seal the deal for Barak in Wisconsin. He has been flying back and forth between Nevada and Wisconsin. He certainly understands the concept of playing small ball.
Sep 30, 2008 at 4:43 p.m.
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That part of Wisconsin has always voted with the "prairie populists" in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Iowa and Nebraska. That region started to turn a little red the last several years, supporting Bush in a big way, but the tide seems to be turning in the other direction now.
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