Obama campaign ramps up N.C.

Barack Obamas North Carolina campaign didnt pack up when he was elected in 2008.Four years later, Obama for America is ramping up for another campaign in a state he carried by 14,000 votes, recruiting volunteers in all 100 counties and opening offices from the mountains to the coast. The Charlotte office, located on Elizabeth Avenue, officially opened Jan. 5.We never shut down offices, you never really left, said Cameron French, North Carolina press secretary for Obama for America. Weve had a presence in North Carolina and were imbedded in the community since the last campaign.Obamas 2008 victory in North Carolina he was the first Democrat to do so since Jimmy Carter in 1976 underscores the states importance in 2012. The incumbent would likely face a stern test from Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum, the leading Republican contenders, according to a survey published Jan. 10 by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. The survey of 780 N.C. voters from Jan. 5-8 showed Obama leads Romney 46 percent to 45 percent and tied with Rick Santorum at 46 percent. The margin of error is 3.5 percent.North Carolina continues to look like it will be one of the closest states in the country this year, said Dean Debnam, PPPs president. And that means every little thing, like a stronger than usual Libertarian candidate, could make the difference.Obamas re-election campaign will hinge on a coalition of African Americans, urban residents and younger adults, Davidson College political science professor Susan Roberts said. If he can duplicate 2008s success with them, he stands a good chance of beating the GOP nominee. A wild card could be the Republican-dominated General Assembly, which has tried to pass a voter identification bill that Democrats say would suppress groups that tend to vote Democratic.More than the candidate running against President Obama, it will be who he can turn out in North Carolina, Roberts said. If its a replica of 2008, I think President Obama can win North Carolina if he gets the turnout level and turn! out demo graphics he got the last time around. Some of that depends on what the state legal body does about the voter identification laws and if they decide to curb early voting.French, who is based in Raleigh, declined to detail the campaigns recruiting goals but offered that the skys the limit and that itll be active across the state. North Carolina is important, he said. We recognize that, our volunteers recognize that and theyre the ones who really have been with us since 2008 for many and so many more are coming back into the process, which is very exciting. Its nice to see that influx of energy continue to come through the campaign and through the office and campaign through the state.Comments Leave a Comment