Pragmatism Over Idealism, Obama Campaign Consolidates Resources as Election Approaches

With just under six weeks left until Election Day, the campaign of Senator Barack Obama is scaling back on the number of states it is targeting, according to a recent Time Magazine article. The move is not surprising given the tightening of polls in swing states over the past few weeks and the impact that John McCain's vice presidential selection has had on several traditionally red states, which the Obama campaign had been targeting up until now.

Shortly after winning the Democratic primary, Obama announced that his campaign intended to adopt the Democratic National Committee's "50 State Strategy" and hire campaign staff in every state in the nation. The campaign set especial hope in their ability to expand the political map by competing in the historically dark red states of Montana, Alaska, North Carolina, Indiana, North Dakota, and Georgia.

This strategy seemed to be working well for the Obama campaign during the summer, and some polls showed him pulling ahead of McCain in Montana and North Dakota. However, immediately after Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's selection as the GOP Vice Presidential candidate, many red states saw a dramatic surge in enthusiasm among the Republican base. Faced with the stark reality that Obama no longer had a prospect of winning in Montana, North Dakota, Georgia, and Alaska, the campaign began closing offices and moving staffers to states considered more necessary come November.