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Candidates vie for votes in Florida

Barack Obama and John McCain are to focus over the next 48 hours on Florida, the state that proved pivotal in the last two elections, as both teams stuck to their campaign timetables in spite of the Wall Street havoc.

Mr. Obama highlighted the importance of the state when he appealed to supporters for $39million — about half of the total $84 million available to Mr. McCain for the entire campaign — to spend on advertising and other events in Florida alone.

David Plouffe, Mr. Obama’s campaign manager, in an E-mail to supporters asking for cash, said 5,00,000 black voters and 9,00,000 young people — both overwhelmingly behind Mr. Obama — have been registered who did not vote in 2004. The key could be the Hispanic vote, with signs that a sizable proportion could swing behind Mr. Obama.

Mr. McCain, though not scheduled to be in Florida this weekend, has made repeated visits to the state. The Republican party is to air an ad aimed at Florida’s Latino population. The Spanish ad highlights how Mr. McCain, who is more liberal on immigration than his party, fought for immigration reform in the Senate last year.

Mr. McCain spent $1 million on ads in Florida last week, compared with $1.3 million by Mr. Obama.

Mr. McCain’s campaign team is considering sending his running mate, Sarah Palin, to Florida this weekend as a counter to Mr. Obama. In what Mr. McCain’s team will regard as a boost, President George Bush cancelled a trip to Florida on Thursday intended to raise funds for him, saying he needed to remain in Washington to consult with his economic advisers. Mr. McCain is trying to distance himself from the unpopular President, especially over the economy.

As polls showed Mr. Obama benefiting more from the Wall Street meltdown than Mr. McCain, the Republican candidate went on the offensive, claiming that an Obama presidency would mean increased federal spending and increased taxes. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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