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Top Obama Strategists Move Into Florida

Posted Oct 8, 2008 by William March

Updated Oct 8, 2008 at 11:01 PM

As Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden was speaking in Tampa today, the Obama campaign leaked word that two top campaign strategists will move from the Chicago headquarters to Florida—an indication of how seriously Obama is taking his attempt to win the Sunshine State.

Deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand and chief general election strategist Paul Tewes have been dispatched to Florida, Hildebrand to Miami and Tewes to Obama’s state headquarters in Ybor City.

The two are expected to continue doing their normal jobs, but to intensify the Obama campaign effort here.

Obama has already advertised more heavily in Florida than any other state and hired an unprecedented Florida staff of nearly 300, in an attempt to put Florida in the Democratic column in a presidential race for the first time since 1996.

Polls in Florida show a tight race – a Mason-Dixon poll for the Tribune this week gave Obama a two-point edge, but with a four-point error margin. That could be unnerving for McCain, because, as we’ve said maybe a million times, nobody thinks McCain can win the presidency without winning Florida.

Read about the rally here.