Opinion: Obama’s day off, but he still hits a crucial corner of Indiana

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Sen. Barack Obama allegedly took the day off back home in Chicago today, but he still managed to get in some campaigning in Indiana -- without even being there.

On a day he was supposed to refrain from campaigning and stay home, his campaign alerted news organizations that he’d be making an unexpected speech at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center.

That speech was to the annual convention of the United Food and Commercial Workers, a union organization with more than 1 million members in the United States that endorsed him earlier this year.

It was the latest example of Obama’s home field advantage in Indiana, where the upcoming May 6 primary is viewed as a critical test for both him and Sen. Hillary Clinton in their marathon struggle for the Democratic nomination.

Twenty percent of Indiana’s Democratic voters live in the Chicago media market up in the northwest corner branching out from Gary. That means they’ll likely see extensive coverage of Obama’s appearance on the news tonight and tomorrow morning.

The Illinois Democrat sought to rally the union vote, a critical part of the Indiana electorate. ‘You were fighting with me in Wisconsin,’ he told the members today. ‘You’re fighting with me in Indiana, and I understand some of you just came back from Pennsylvania.’

Obama never mentioned his Democratic opponent. Instead, as he is increasingly doing, he kept his focus on Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. He specifically mentioned tax cuts McCain once opposed.

‘They may have stopped offending John McCain’s conscience somewhere along the road to the Republican nomination,’ Obama said, ‘but George Bush’s economic policies still offend my conscience.’

Obama heads back to the Hoosier State on Friday. Clinton will be there as well, campaigning in Bloomington, and then up to that crucial northwest corner in Gary and East Chicago.

-- John McCormick

John McCormick writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune Washington Bureau. Photo Credit: AP