One difference I have noticed between the McCain and Obama campaigns is where they campaign and what attitudes they have towards the locales.  Lately, both campaigns have spent a large amount of time in battleground states like Florida and Ohio, but Senator Obama has also spent time in traditional red states like Virginia, North Carolina, and Indiana.

Touting their small town appeal, the McCain-Palin ticket claims to appeal to real Americans.

“We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation.  This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform.  Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom.”

Apparently people who don’t live in small towns don’t work hard, are not patriotic, don’t have kindness or goodness or courage, don’t work in factories or teach, or serve in the military.  Anyone who lives in a city or the suburbs should be as offended as I am.  This is not how you win votes and I can only assume that John McCain has given up on the urban vote.  Speaking of which, when was the last time Senator John McCain campaigned in a blue state?

In contrast, the Obama-Biden ticket has abided by the “50-State Strategy” of DNC Chair Howard Dean and campaigned not only in blue states but red states as well.  I believe it’s this kind of thinking and campaigning that has brought Virginia, North Carolina, Nevada, and Indiana into the battleground column.  Making the effort to reach rural voters by campaigning and setting up campaign offices in traditional Republican states, the Obama-Biden ticket is practicing what it preaches with regard to bringing the country together.

Senator Obama has had his share of blunders while courting small town voters.  During the Democratic primary, Obama spoke of rural Pennsylvanians as being “bitter” and “clinging to religion and guns.”  His opponent at the time, Senator Hillary Clinton, attacked him as an elitist—a label the McCain-Palin ticket has resurrected.  Regardless of how Obama may feel about rural Americans, he is reaching out to them by simply campaigning there.  I doubt greatly that John McCain or Sarah Palin would campaign in an inner city as that demographic is not within the Republican base.  Obama has the integrity to expand beyond the safety of his base to more rural and conservative voters.  He may not win everyone’s vote, but he is making the effort and you have to respect that.

Sources:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/palins-mixed-me.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122480892803665099.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/obama-how-hes-selling-his-message-to-smalltown-sceptics-968479.html

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060716/24dems.htm

http://www.utne.com/2008-10-24/Politics/McCain-and-Palins-Small-Minded-Strategy-for-Small-Town-America.aspx?blogid=30

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