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With just 26 days left until the election, it's more important than ever for volunteers to drum up support for their favorite candidate. But for Utahns volunteering for Barack Obama, that may involve leaving the state.
The Obama campaign is actively seeking volunteers to go to Colorado to work. The reason is the nine electoral votes that are there are more accessible to Obama than the five in Utah are.
At Obama's Salt Lake City headquarters, there is a steady stream of people coming in, signing up and donating time. But right now, the office is also looking for volunteers who are willing to travel to both Colorado and Nevada, places where Democrats are gaining support.
"The Rocky Mountain area, the mountain area, is fertile ground for Democrats," Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland said.
As the economy struggles, so does the Republican message. Traditional "western" issues like the environment, energy and immigration are being trumped by the crisis on Wall Street.
Yet, Democrats were making inroads in traditionally Republican states well before this year -- part of a cycle the GOP was hoping to overcome.
"It's not purely the current economic problems, because what we've seen is some Democratic governors being elected, some state legislatures getting elected. So, that's also part of the longer term trend," explained Matthew Burbank, political science professor at the University of Utah.
For John McCain, it's a struggle in conservative eastern states, like Virginia and North Carolina, this year too.
The Obama campaign's call for volunteers in western swing states is part of a long-term strategy to keep the momentum going.
"Those states are traditionally solid Republican states. They've been close in the past. They've never been this close and this vulnerable to going to the Democrat side," said Republican consultant Jeff Hartley.
In the past, the road to the White House has gone through the West. This year, the results of that journey might be different than four years ago.
At this point, the candidates are devoting resources very carefully. Campaign managers have told us in the past that they like recruiting people in Utah because, they say, the volunteers are willing to work very hard.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
