Is H’burg in play this November?
posted by Brent FinneganThe Washington Post reported that the McCain campaign is expected to start airing ads in the Harrisonburg area tomorrow.
Virginians have supported Republicans for president for more than three decades. But Democrats have won recent statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate, prompting many political watchers to say Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, may have a shot at winning Virginia.
The McCain campaign is reportedly also buying airtime in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville and southwest Virginia. But why Harrisonburg?
posted: July 7th, 2008 by Brent Finnegan
filed under politics.
Comments: 4
Comments
Comment from Deona Landes Houff
Time: July 7, 2008, 9:42 am
If in fact Virginia is this year’s Ohio or Florida, small-town votes will mean more than ever. McCain could lose the cities served by Hburg TV, but he’ll win the counties, and he perhaps needs to win them by even more than the expected huge margins.
Comment from Adam Sharp
Time: July 7, 2008, 10:33 am
Think about Harrisonburg as a media market, not as an independent jurisdiction.
Buying ads in Harrisonburg allows candidates to reach up and down the valley (and McCain needs to boost turnout here), as well as crossing over into West Virginia, which McCain also needs to win.
McCain isn’t targeting Harrisonburg … he’s targeting Rockingham, Augusta, Shenandoah, Page, Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Pocahontas …
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: July 7, 2008, 11:37 am
McCain is trying to cover his base (abbreviated, of course, CYA) four months before the election, a tribute to Obama’s organization, popularity, and strength. Expanding on what Deona and Adam point out, McCain should be targeting media markets like Cleveland and Miami right now, not trying to boost his take in places he ought to carry easily.
The ‘Burg’s not really in play. Dems will carry it (as we did for Deeds, Kaine, Fulk once, and Fulk twice). McCain appears to be afraid not that the ‘Burg is in play, but that the Valley is.
Pingback from hburgnews.com » Obama’s Harrisonburg office
Time: July 17, 2008, 8:29 am
[...] few days ago, I wrote about McCain taking out ads in the Harrisonburg market. Yesterday, Talking Points Memo reported the [...]
Write a comment
All we ask is that you address others the way you'd like to be addressed. No anonymous, libelous, or name-calling comments. Please limit yourself to a single screen name and a legitimate email address. Thank you.