Democrats think they have a better shot at the heartland vote this year against John McCain than in 2004, thanks to a worsening economy and high gas prices.
The Obama campaign also believes McCain is uniquely vulnerable because he has made such a point of opposing agriculture subsidies.
Matt Barron, one of Obama’s advisers on agriculture and rural policy, presented a long list of agricultural programs that McCain had voted against, and argued that such votes could find their way into Obama campaign ads targeted at rural voters.
“They say Republicans take rural voters for granted, and Democrats ignore them,” Barron said. “That’s beginning to change.”
An Associated Press/Yahoo poll of rural voters in June found Obama trailing McCain by just six points.
