Newsflash: Obama Might Not get Alaska 3
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| Wed, 09-24-2008 - 1:50am |
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/09/23/politics/p164856D78.DTL&type=politics
Obama campaign quiet since Palin announcement
By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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(09-23) 18:27 PDT JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) --
The Palin punch has delivered a blow to Barack Obama's slim hopes of capturing Alaska's three electoral votes on Nov. 4.
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Obama's high profile in the state has taken a precipitous slide since Aug. 29, when popular Gov. Sarah Palin joined Sen. John McCain on the Republican presidential ticket.
Two of Obama's Alaska campaign offices have consolidated into one and another didn't open as advertised. One of two press secretaries assigned to Alaska has left.
Alaskans last chose a Democrat for the presidency in 1964, when they backed Lyndon B. Johnson by a 2-1 margin over Barry Goldwater. Since 1980, the state has sent an all-Republican congressional delegation to Washington.
Of the state's 482,045 registered voters, 121,338 are Republican, 73,876 are Democrat and 256,516 haven't chosen a party — a bloc the Obama campaign had hoped to win over.
Obama spokeswoman Nayyera Haq said the campaign still planned several rallies and parties tied to the upcoming debates.
With the presidential race very tight, Alaska Democrats aren't expecting Obama to visit Alaska — a prospect raised in July. Julie Hasquet, a spokeswoman for Democratic Senate candidate Mark Begich, said it wasn't realistic to expect a visit.
"Initially yeah, we thought we might see him," Hasquet said. "But when your governor is running for vice president, it makes it more difficult for the opposing candidate to do well in that state."
| Wed, 09-24-2008 - 2:12am |
| Wed, 09-24-2008 - 2:43am |

