Senator Obama Falls behind in Florida
Not that Senator Obama has ever held the lead in Florida, he has fallen further behind in the latest polls for the state.
Despite the heavy spending by the Senator, he has slowly fallen behind Senator McCain.
Despite spending an estimated $8-million on campaign ads in America’s biggest battleground state and putting in place the largest Democratic campaign organization ever in Florida, Obama has lost ground over the summer. – St. Petersburg Times
Senator McCain has solidified his lead since his addition to the ticket. Governor Palin has made a positive effect on McCain’s polling numbers.
I have heard from several women in our area that they have decided to vote for McCain just because of Governor Palin.
While this does not mean that Florida has become a sure thing for Senator McCain, it sure does make it easier for him to win. No Republican has won the Presidency without Florida in quite some time. Senator McCain should feel good about his lead.
Even though there is quite a bit of lead, it could still be a close race. Both campaigns realize this and plan on continuing to target voters in the state.
Republicans are trying to focus on the Hillary supporters.
“We’re certainly not planting a victory flag. I think Florida will be competitive,” said Buzz Jacobs, McCain’s campaign manager for the Southeast. “But the base of our party is energized like it’s never been before. I think we are attracting Democrats and independents into our party at a greater rate than we were a few weeks ago. … We are getting some of those Hillary Clinton supporters especially, and I think the Obama campaign is very worried about that.”
While the Democrats are just trying to gain a solid foothold.
“Our job is to stay focused and continue building the largest and most comprehensive campaign organization this state has ever had. Compared to what McCain has on the ground at this point, our operation is far superior,” he said.
Even if the Democrats have a larger organization than the Republicans, it still shows how much work they face to gain on the Republican campaign. Perhaps Obama should spend more time campaigning in Florida and less time raising money.
It will be interesting to see in the coming weeks if McCain can widen the gap or if Obama can close the gap. It could determine where both spend their time.