Obama, McCain to stump in Virginia

Bristol, Virginia. It was Sen. Barack Obama’s first campaign stop after winning the Democratic presidential nomination. And it wasn’t his last.

In August, Obama traveled to Martinsville and Lynchburg. And now, he has a Tuesday evening rally planned in Lebanon in far Southwest Virginia.

Dick Cranwell is an Obama supporter and the chair of the Virginia Democratic Party.

WARREN: “THIS WILL BE HIS FOURTH VISIT TO Southwest Virginia, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?

CRANWELL: “It tells me that he is employing the same strategy that Mark Warner did when he was elected governor… Saying I understand your pain, I care about you, here is my solution to a large part of the problems that plague a large part of the economies of Southwest and Southside Virginia.“

The McCain/Palin ticket spent time in battleground Missouri on Monday, but has yet to visit Southwest Virginia. They’ll hold their first Virginia rally Wednesday morning, but it’s in Northern Virginia.

We talked with McCain State Chairman and former Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore on the phone.

WARREN: “IS JOHN MCCAIN GOING TO VISIT SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA OR IS THERE AN ASSUMPTION WITHIN THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN THAT THIS END OF THE STATE IS GOING TO GO REPUBLICAN AND THEY DON’T HAVE TO INVEST AS MUCH?“

KILGORE: “No there is no assumption ongoing.“ He went on to say, “We’re going to devote resources to all of Virginia, including Southwest Virginia. We’re going going to take anything for granted.“

But, Kilgore is convinced that McCain will win our region based on the issues alone.

“Every time Barack Obama visits Southwest Virginia he loses ground and he loses ground because on issue after issue, Barack Obama is simply wrong and out of touch with Southwest Virginia,“ he said.

WARREN: “JERRY KILGORE SAYS OBAMA DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT VALUES FOR THIS REGION AND THAT HE WASTES HIS TIME EVERY TIME HE COMES TO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. WHAT DO YOU SAY?

CRANWELL: “I would say to Mr. Kilgore, the people of Southwest Virginia to care about their pocketbook and they do care about pocketbook issues. Barack Obama’s message on the economy is one that helps Southwest and Southside Virginia.“