Campaigns heat up forSuper Tuesday
Any of the presidential candidates could visit Oklahoma before voters go to the polls next week, campaign coordinators and volunteer workers say.
Campaign activity in the state is expected to intensify through the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday election, when 24 states — including Oklahoma — hold primaries or caucuses.
Candidates will spend most of their time in states that have more delegates, but campaign workers said each contender considers Oklahoma important.
No visits by any of the major presidential contenders is scheduled for this week in Oklahoma, but that could change if campaign strategists or schedulers can squeeze in a stop in the Sooner State.
Democratic contender Hillary Clinton, the first candidate to air TV commercials statewide, should get a boost when her husband speaks at a campaign rally and fundraiser on the University of Oklahoma campus. Former President Clinton — and possibly their daughter, Chelsea — will appear at a campaign rally Wednesday at the Lloyd Noble Center.
A fundraiser is set for 1:15 p.m. in the Courtside Club at the Lloyd Noble Center to raise money for Clinton. .
"In addition to being the only campaign on the air with a statewide ad, we are building on our already strong organization in Oklahoma with new staff, more volunteers and a flurry of campaign activity,” said Deirde Murphy, Oklahoma campaign communications director for Clinton.
Two Republican presidential candidates stopped by Oklahoma last week. Daniel Gilbert, a North Carolina businessman, and Jerry Curry, a retired Army general from Virginia, are long shots to win the Republican nomination. Curry made his formal announcement last week in Norman and will be campaigning in the state through Tuesday.
Workers for Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, have set up call centers in Ardmore and Oklahoma City where supporters are making nightly calls, said Ben LaBolt, with the Obama campaign.
"We believe in a race this tight, organization matters, and neighbor-to-neighbor conversations about why Barack Obama is the candidate who will bring change we can believe in are the most persuasive of all,” LaBolt said.
While the Clinton and Obama campaigns have brought in workers from other states, the campaign of Democratic contender John Edwards is relying on Oklahoma volunteers. There is no plan to open a campaign office in Oklahoma.
Edwards has been in Oklahoma the most recently. Two weeks ago, he made two stops three days apart.
Renzi Stone, an Oklahoma campaign spokesman and volunteer for Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani, said "a group of hard-core volunteers” is working for the former New York mayor.
"Oklahoma is very important for him, especially if he can do well in Florida (Tuesday),” Stone said.
Chad Alexander, one of the grassroots coordinators for GOP presidential contender John McCain, said momentum is picking up in the state for the U.S. senator from Arizona. Volunteers are calling every night and efforts are under way to make sure McCain's supporters get out to vote, he said.
"This state is shaping up very well for John McCain,” he said.
Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma chairman for Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, said the former Arkansas governor is doing well in Oklahoma. Rallies are scheduled across the state for Huckabee, he said.
"Super Tuesday could be a wonderful day for him, and Oklahoma's a big part of that,” Pruitt said.
Kirk Shelley, Oklahoma state coordinator for GOP presidential contender Ron Paul, said about 800 volunteers are working in Oklahoma. The campaign has a telephone center in Tulsa and a headquarters in Oklahoma City for the Texas congressman, Shelley said.
Thad Balkman, volunteer Oklahoma state coordinator for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, said support for his candidate is growing.
"I'm getting a lot of phone calls and e-mails every day from people around the state that are watching the debates and reading the stuff on the Internet,” he said.
Gov. Henry keeps his options openGov. Brad Henry isn't vying to be the running mate for any of the Democratic presidential contenders. But he said he would consider the possibility if asked.
"That's crazy speculation,” he said of his being considered for vice president. "If anybody were asked to serve in a president's administration, you would have to give it serious consideration.
"I am really happy right here in Oklahoma doing what I'm doing, and I just have no desire to go to Washington, D.C.,” Henry said. "I plan to stay right here.”
Henry, who won two-thirds of the vote in his 2006 re-election, remains popular in the state and has shown that he can work with leaders from the Republican Party. The message of bipartisanship is a popular theme among most presidential candidates as the sense many voters are tired of the bickering on Capitol Hill brought about mainly by partisan politics.
Henry, who will serve as an Oklahoma delegate at the Democratic National Convention, isn't planning to endorse any Democratic presidential candidate before the Feb. 5 state primary or the Democratic National Convention in August.
"At this point, I think it's smart not to get committed to a particular candidate,” Henry said. "Ultimately, I will support the Democratic nominee for president, but it puts Oklahoma in a good position to have a little bit of influence down the line because we haven't already committed and already haven't written everybody else off.”
The governor said he is undecided.
"I don't know exactly who I'm supporting for president,” Henry said. "Ill figure that out hopefully and I will cast my vote Feb. 5.”
Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
1 comment:
I think Herny would be an outstanding VP choice.
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