Obama plans to compete in Nebraska
6:55 AM
By Don Walton, Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Monday, August 04, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign made it clear over the weekend it plans to compete in Nebraska.
John Berge, who has worked for Nebraska Democrats Ben Nelson, Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, was named Nebraska state director for Obama’s campaign.
“John brings the expertise of Nebraska, which will allow us to be competitive in Nebraska as we wage an aggressive campaign and compete for every vote,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.
“The network of volunteers and grassroots energy built up during the historic primary season has given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election,” Plouffe said.
The Obama campaign is expected to assign a field staff to metropolitan Omaha’s 2nd Congressional District in a bid to snare at least one of Nebraska’s five presidential electoral votes.
Obama’s effort in the district will be buttressed by extensive TV advertising on Omaha stations designed to penetrate Iowa, a battleground state.
Nebraska awards one electoral vote to the winner of each of its three congressional districts while assigning two votes to the statewide winner.
Berge, who most recently served as executive director of the Western Nebraska Community College Foundation, has been politically active in all three districts.
Obama’s “message of changing the direction of the country and unifying us to address the serious challenges we face is resonating with Nebraskans in a way that has not happened in at least two generations,” Berge said.
Nebraska has not handed an electoral vote to a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 when Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater and all the electoral votes were awarded statewide.
Obama won Nebraska’s first Democratic presidential caucuses last February, earning a vast majority of the state’s delegates to the party’s national nominating convention.
In May, Obama edged Sen. Hillary Clinton in a presidential primary vote that had no impact on delegate selection.
Obama made one Nebraska appearance prior to the caucus, addressing a rally at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain visited Nebraska last month for a fund-raising event at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Ashland.
Recent polling figures showed McCain leading in all three Nebraska districts, but Obama within single digits of McCain in Omaha and in the 1st District, which includes Lincoln.
John Berge, who has worked for Nebraska Democrats Ben Nelson, Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, was named Nebraska state director for Obama’s campaign.
“John brings the expertise of Nebraska, which will allow us to be competitive in Nebraska as we wage an aggressive campaign and compete for every vote,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.
“The network of volunteers and grassroots energy built up during the historic primary season has given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election,” Plouffe said.
The Obama campaign is expected to assign a field staff to metropolitan Omaha’s 2nd Congressional District in a bid to snare at least one of Nebraska’s five presidential electoral votes.
Obama’s effort in the district will be buttressed by extensive TV advertising on Omaha stations designed to penetrate Iowa, a battleground state.
Nebraska awards one electoral vote to the winner of each of its three congressional districts while assigning two votes to the statewide winner.
Berge, who most recently served as executive director of the Western Nebraska Community College Foundation, has been politically active in all three districts.
Obama’s “message of changing the direction of the country and unifying us to address the serious challenges we face is resonating with Nebraskans in a way that has not happened in at least two generations,” Berge said.
Nebraska has not handed an electoral vote to a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 when Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater and all the electoral votes were awarded statewide.
Obama won Nebraska’s first Democratic presidential caucuses last February, earning a vast majority of the state’s delegates to the party’s national nominating convention.
In May, Obama edged Sen. Hillary Clinton in a presidential primary vote that had no impact on delegate selection.
Obama made one Nebraska appearance prior to the caucus, addressing a rally at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain visited Nebraska last month for a fund-raising event at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Ashland.
Recent polling figures showed McCain leading in all three Nebraska districts, but Obama within single digits of McCain in Omaha and in the 1st District, which includes Lincoln.
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