Barack Obama Leading John McCain in Wisconsin

Now with the Democratic nominee claimed, the United States can now focus on who the want for their next president - Illinois Senator Barack Obama (DEM) or Arizona Senator John McCain (REP). As with recent elections, both presidential and general, this is going to be a very important race. With hot button issues such as the dwindling economy and the War in Iraq, and California bringing gay marriage back to mainstream view, the world's eyes are fixed upon our decision come November. Since this is such an important race between Barack Obama and John McCain, each and every state will become very important, as this Presidential Race between Barack Obama and John McCain will likely be very close and heated. My own state of Wisconsin, which has played important roles in both the 2000 Presidential Election and the 2004 Presidential Election, is already gearing up to step into its role in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Wisconsin, which is considered to be a swing state, has voted primarily Democratic in recent years; in 2000 voting for Al Gore and 2004 voting for John Kerry, and the general elections have had more Democratic wins than have the Republicans. In the 2008 Presidential Primaries, Barack Obama won over Hillary Clinton, and now it seems Barack Obama is keeping that momentum alive. Many polls from around the country are giving Barack Obama a clear lead over John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Race, according to USA Election Polls. This lead, which has been evident since the 2008 Primaries, ranges from an approximate two point lead up to an approximate thirteen point lead.

One such report published by the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Barack Obama has a thirteen point lead over John McCain among Wisconsin voters. This survey reiterates that the top two issues among voters in this Presidential Election are the War in Iraq and the poor economy, with 66 percent of those surveyed stating that the War in Iraq is not worth fighting. Ken Goldstein, from the University of Wisconsin Department of Political Science, pointed out that, "In 2000 and 2004, party attachments in the state were virtually identical with equal numbers of voters identifying with the Democrats and the GOP." What does this mean for Barack Obama and John McCain? Simply put, without a little more effort on McCain's side, if these party ties stay strong, Obama may have an easy win in the state of Wisconsin.

So what is each candidate doing to help ensure a victory in this ten electoral vote state? Barack Obama's street teams are all over the state of Wisconsin throughout the end of the month June and into July. As I am writing this article - June 21, 2008 - Team Obama has eleven events set up to raise awareness for a candidate that already has a strong support base. On the opposite end of the scale, Senator McCain, who really needs to boost his likeability and overall numbers in Wisconsin, very few events set up by his street teams in the state.

I am sure that as this heated battle rages on, John McCain will increase his presence in Wisconsin. Though, if he follows in the footsteps of his recent predecessors, he will put Wisconsin on the back burner, and eventually end up losing the state. I do feel that this will be a huge mistake for the Republican nominee, especially in an election that will be so close and historical. Only time will tell what each of these men will do, and in November we will see what the fruit of their labor will be.