Republican
presidential challenger Mitt Romney is pushing to win a band of
Midwestern states that voted for President Barack Obama four years
ago and that generally have a long history of backing Democrats in
White House elections.Romney faces hurdles and advantages in each state but his approach will leave Obama no choice but to spend time and money defending states he carried in 2008.
Wisconsin,
which has not backed a Republican for president since Ronald Reagan in
1984, presents a new opportunity for Romney, almost exclusively due to Gov. Scott
Walker's triumph two weeks ago in a contentious recall election. Walker's win,
after an 18-month fight over public employee union rights, gives Republicans
hope. It also gives Romney a corps of well-trained organizers and reams of
voter data to put to use.
But
he still has his work cut out for him. Voters said in exit polls after the June
5 election that they trust Obama more to address the nation's economic
struggles — the chief argument for Romney, a former businessman — and the
interests of the middle class.
Obama
also continues to have the advantage in urban areas, especially among minority
voters, which each state except Iowa has.
Obama,
meanwhile, enjoys a special Iowa connection, having won the 2008 Democratic
caucuses in Cinderella fashion. He's already built a robust ground operation.
He has spent nearly $5 million on advertising in Iowa, and has spent no money
in Wisconsin since early in the year.
Although
Romney aides say there is no Midwestern lynchpin, they argue that a competitive
streak in Wisconsin is good for them in the entire region.
