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We have a presidential candidate in the neighborhood again. Barack Obama made a stop in Elko, Nev., today, talking about issues from the attack on a U.S. embassy to, of course, the economy. It's all part of his plan to further include rural America as part of the election process.
This is Obama's third visit to Elko, and like in his past visits, his main message is change. The economy gives him an example for that change, and just visiting a town like Elko is change in itself.
Obama has a lot on his mind these days. "And Elko, I want you to listen to me here, I will cut taxes, cut taxes for 95 percent of all working families," he said.
It's no coincidence the economy took up most of Obama's speech. With stocks going down, corporate buyouts, and a growing concern for the economy, Obama said what many people were already thinking: "We are in the midst of the most serious financial crisis in generations."
Elko has a lot of blue-collar jobs and middle-class families, making it the perfect place for Obama to give this speech. But Professor Matthew Burbank, who chairs the University of Utah's political science department, says there's another reason why Elko is so appealing. "The nice thing about going to a place like Elko is that there are lots of places in the west that people can look at and say, ‘Ah ha! That's a lot like here,'" he said.
Western states have been getting more attention from presidential candidates than usual, especially from Democrats. Burbank said, "States like Nevada are more in play than they have been. So again, Nevada, Colorado, certainly New Mexico, possibly Montana are states which traditionally have been conservative, have gone Republican. Democrats see a chance to maybe not pick up all of them, but maybe pick up one or two of them."
It's why Obama has been to Elko before. He told the crowd today, "This place is like places all across the country, people who are working hard, who are giving back to their community, are looking after their families, and have been forgotten."
Obama spoke for about 20 minutes. His next stop is Las Vegas, where there's no doubt he'll continue his message of change.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
