10-03-08, 12:08 pm
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In what has been perceived as a major concession, the McCain campaign announced this week that it would be pulling its campaign resources out of Michigan in order to shift to other battleground states.
The decision came after a series of polls showed Obama with a widening lead here and the same day that 16,000 people rallied in support of Barack Obama in the supposed Republican stronghold of Grand Rapids.
Both campaigns had previously argued that few winning scenarios existed without Michigan, though this fact more likely applied to Obama's chances for securing a victory in November.
George W. Bush lost Michigan in 2004, but ultimately claimed a victory in the election. Media reports indicate that McCain has been forced to re-allocate resources from Michigan to states that Bush won in 2004 that polls now show as tied or with Obama opening a growing lead, including Ohio and Florida.
In addition to this development, McCain is now operating under limited resources as he accepted $84 million in public financing.
Significantly, the Michigan-based media is portraying the McCain campaign as having 'given up on Michigan.'
That point is more than merely sarcastic or symbolic, however. In a campaign stop in the Midwest during the Republican primary race, McCain appeared to have given up on the fight for keeping manufacturing jobs in Michigan, a key component of Michigan's economy when he said, 'Have people lost jobs? Yes, they have, and they’re gonna lose jobs.”
By contrast, the Obama campaign's message of investment in creating jobs and in revitalizing manufacturing in Michigan has more strongly resonated, leading to more solid poll numbers for the Democrat.
Again today, the Obama campaign hammered away on the economy. In a statement, Barack Obama said, 'I also call on Congress to pass an immediate rescue plan for our middle-class that will provide tax relief, save one million jobs, and save our local communities from harmful budget cuts and painful tax increases.'
Obama has successfully tied McCain to the economic policies of George W. Bush as well as to the economic philosophy behind deregulation and Wall Street schemes that led to the current financial crisis.
The Obama campaign has committed close to 200 paid staff (double the number of staff Kerry committed in 2004), close to $6 million in TV advertising over the summer (less than McCain), and opened more than two dozen offices across the state.
The Obama campaign told reporters that it did not take the McCain campaign's announcement at face value, saying, “We’re not going to take their word for it. We’re going to fight for every vote.”
Two weeks ago the John McCain announced he was suspending his campaign until a bailout package agreement was reached in Congress. Leading campaign figures, including McCain and Palin, however, continued to make media appearances and operations have continued as usual ever since despite the failure to reach an agreement on a bailout.
