McCain ends campaign in Michigan

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Republican presidential candidate John McCain R.- Ariz. has withdrawn campaign funding in Michigan.

A Detroit Free Press poll released last month showed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama held a 13-point lead. This prompted to McCain to pull his forces out of Michigan, said J. Cherie Strachan, a political science assistant professor.

“If you don’t think you’ll win the state and you have limited resources, you’re going to transfer those resources to another state,” she said.

According to TheHill.com, McCain’s disadvantage in funding is the difference in several tens of millions of dollars. As of the end of August, the Obama campaign reported it had $77.4 million nationally. McCain reported $26.9 million.

“It injures (McCain’s campaign), perhaps badly,” said Bill Ballenger, former Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government.

This does two things, Ballenger said. First, McCain damages his own prospects of winning. Ballenger said the other Republicans on the tickets will be damaged in what amounts to a trickle-down effect.

“The clumsy way which McCain did it – he let it get announced in the press – sends the public that white flag of surrender,” said Ballenger. “Michigan is essential to the Democrats.”

Ballenger said that by letting the press learn about his pulling out of Michigan, McCain has publicly conceded the state. While this happens all the time, it is not something that is made public, Ballenger said.

“It is likely that Obama has pulled out of certain states. He didn’t make that public though,” Ballenger said.

For some time, Michigan has appeared to be a battleground state. Events in the last year have swung the state to lean toward Obama in polls, however.

“I think it’s the economy that’s pushed the state for Obama,” Strachan said.

The end of the Kwame Kilpatrick scandal in Detroit was also beneficial for the Democrats, Ballenger said. Coupled with the stock market situation on Wall Street, more Michigan voters are turning Democrat, he said.

If Obama continues to hold Michigan through the next month and through the election, this would the third consecutive presidential election in which the Democrats win Michigan. Democratic 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry won the state, as did presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000.

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