Obama Aims for Republican States

President Obama's 2012 strategy is taking shape, and it involves targeting some traditional Republican strongholds. Formerly Republican states like Colorado, Virginia, and North Carolina, with their growing cities and suburbs, have an increasing number of higher-income independents, young voters, Hispanics, and African-Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, are looking to states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the hope of capitalizing on Obama's low support among lower-income, less educated white voters. “There are a lot of ways for us to get to 270, and it’s not just the traditional map,” said David Axelrod, Obama’s campaign strategist.