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Sen. John McCain's campaign team believes Sen. Barack Obama isn't like recent Democrat winners in Virginia. |
RICHMOND
--With Virginia already in national headlines this week with Mark Warner being named a keynote speaker at the Democratic convention, the McCain campaign yesterday said Virginia is going to be a key battleground in November's election."There's no doubt Virginia will be a close race, closely watched. All the polling bears that out," said Mike DuHaime, political director for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, in a conference call with reporters.
Democrats have already indicated they consider Virginia to be important this year, as a traditionally red state that they think has been trending blue with recent Democratic victories, such as Mark Warner's election as governor, Gov. Tim Kaine's election, and Sen. Jim Webb's election.
But Republicans see the state as not blue enough to fall into Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's column in November.
"Virginia is very much a center-right state at this point," DuHaime said. "Senator McCain is very much center-right as well."
DuHaime said the Democrats who have won statewide elections in Virginia are different from the more liberal Obama.
"Senator Obama does not have the same record as some of the Democrats who have been successful in Virginia in the past [they] tend to be moderate, centrist Democrats, even conservative on some issues," DuHaime said. "I don't believe you will hear the same from Senator Obama."
He said the McCain campaign has worked to develop a strong structure in Virginia, with supporters in every city and county in the state organized down to the precinct level.
The campaign last night also organized house parties across the state for McCain supporters, including one in Spotsylvania County.
DuHaime was not specific about regions of the state the campaign is targeting, but acknowledged that areas with a large military population, like Hampton Roads, will be critical.
"There is the opportunity for us to run up very big numbers with the military population," he said. "There's no place that's not important. But there are places we need to run up the score, and places the Democrats need to run up the score."
DuHaime said McCain will be visiting Virginia again, although he was not specific about when or where.
But, he said, the state is a critical part of the campaign's electoral math.
"Virginia is very important to us extraordinarily important to us to win Virginia," he said. "We are not thinking about a calculus without it. It is part of our scenario. It's certainly one we are going to fight for every single day."
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
