February 21, 2008
McCain looking for financial support in Indiana
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Presidential candidate John McCain is visiting Indiana on Friday (Feb. 22) more to seek financial support than votes, says a Purdue University presidential scholar."He will be in Indiana to raise money, which is something he is going to need a lot of in order to compete with a Democratic candidate," says Bert Rockman, professor and head of the Department of Political Science. "He has a lot of ground to make up on fundraising because the Democrats have quite a treasury, and that is a reflection of the high energy level the Democrats have this year.
"McCain needs to get money from traditional Republican sources, and, historically, Indiana is home to some strong resources for Republicans."
McCain, who is the leading Republican nominee, is participating in a fundraising invitation-only event in Indianapolis, as well as a public town-hall-style meeting.
Rockman says Indiana voters will receive more attention from Democratic nominees Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton closer to the May 6 primary.
"Indiana is going to be interesting to watch come May 6 because it will be one of the last states for Obama and Clinton to campaign in," Rockman says. "The Democrats are probably going to compete all the way to the convention, and Indiana may play more of a role in the decision making process than in past elections."
Rockman is editor or author of 14 books, including "The George W. Bush Presidency: Appraisals and Prospects," "The Clinton Presidency: First Appraisals," "The Clinton Legacy" and "The Bush Presidency: First Appraisals," as well as "The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions" and "Presidential Leadership: The Vortex of Power." His book "The Leadership Question" won the Richard E. Neustadt Prize.Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Source: Bert A. Rockman, (765) 494-4162, barockma@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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