Politics

Obama Begins 3-Day Campaign Stop In Indiana

Crowd Of 3,000 Gathers To Hear Illinois Senator Speak In High School Auditorium

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CBS) ― The Indiana primary is less than a month away and voters there will have a major voice in selecting the Democratic nominee for president.

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports Sen. Barack Obama is in South Bend, Ind., hoping to drum up support.

The energy from the crowd Wednesday night may well have helped energize Obama, who at that point was likely running on fumes after a very full day of campaigning.

He spoke about investing in America and in American workers, among other things.

Obama was greeted by some who'd been waiting for as long as seven hours, while he was making several stops in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State's primary is two weeks before Indiana's.

And while Obama's given Clinton a head start here, the most recent poll indicates he may actually be ahead in Indiana.

The first stop of this three-day campaign swing, his first major trip here, was before a crowd of 3,000 in a high school auditorium. People, if not necessarily sold on his message, were certainly receptive to it.

"I've heard a lot about him. I saw him in TV, and I wanted to hear his message," said one man attending the rally, who said it was more curiosity than anything that brought him there.

"I believe he's willing to bring the jobs back here and get people employed so that we can, you know, begin to have a middle class again," said one woman.

Another man, who said he hadn't made his choice on candidates yet, said "I want to hear that there's a plan behind things."

The political reality looking into the upcoming primaries is that Obama leads Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton in delegates and the popular vote so far. She needs big victories in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

Polls show Obama running very close to Clinton in Pennsylvania and actually leading in Indiana. That means Indiana on May 6 could play a big part in the decision.

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