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...to replace. Gore's unexpected strong finish in Ohio made Democrats regard the state as a prime target of opportunity. While Bush has often had a small lead among likely voters in the most sophisticated state-level polls, an infusion of new voters and the likelihood that Nader will not be on the ballot has added to Democratic prospects.
KEYWORDS: elections, Ohio politics, 2004 presidential election
For many years, Ohio license plates carried the slogan "The Heart of it All" and in 2004 even casual observers of the presidential campaign might find it appropriate. Although a handful of states are just as important (such as Florida and Pennsylvania), the battle for the Buckeye state has become a central story in news coverage of the campaign. Indeed, Americans who can only vaguely locate Ohio on a map have been treated to in-depth analysis of the Chillicothe, New Lexington, and Stark County. And judging by my email, much of the rest of the world has discovered Ohio as well.
Ohio's top billing as "ground zero" in the campaign is not entirely a creation of journalists. The major parties have declared it a priority and put their resources where their mouths are. First, the "air war" has been intense. The major candidates, their parties, and allied groups have concentrated their broadcast advertising in the major Ohio media markets. The most recent analysis of TV spots found that six of the top ten markets were in Ohio: Toledo (#2), Cleveland (#3), Cincinnati (#4), Columbus (#6), Youngtown (#8), and Dayton (#9). Ohioans have seen the full range of ads, from moveon.org to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and everything in between.
Second, the "ground war" has been extensive. Although the final numbers are not yet available, some 560,000 new voters have been added to the rolls in 2004 (an 8 percent increase over 2003). An extraordinary range of organizations have been engaged in these figures, many rich in funds and personnel. For example on the Democratic side, Americans Coming Together (a 527 committee) has committed $1.1 million and 700 paid workers...
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