Some wonder why Clinton more visible in NW Ind. than Obama

By TOM COYNE, Associated Press Writer

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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks during a rally in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, April 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: May 1, 2008 at 5:57 PM EST

Story Updated: May 1, 2008 at 9:58 PM EST

WHITING, Ind. (AP) — Ken Rahn is undecided about who he will vote for in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, and he's watching the two campaigns closely.

The 55-year-old pipefitter from Whiting has noticed that New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has made more campaign stops in northwest Indiana than Sen. Barack Obama and says that could play a role when he casts his ballot on Tuesday.

"She is making an effort to communicate with the area and that he hasn't been here as much," he said. "I wouldn't say it bothers me, but you notice."

Clinton was in Portage and Hobart on Tuesday, her fourth campaign swing through the area in the past four weeks. Former President Bill Clinton made stops in four cities on Thursday. Obama so far has made one stop in northwest Indiana, speaking at Roosevelt High School in Gary on April 10. He planned to visit a steel company in the northwest Indiana city of Munster on Friday.

The Associated Press left a message seeking a comment at Obama's state campaign office.

Susan Hmurovic, a retired second-grade teacher from Whiting, said she plans to vote for Clinton, but she's also a big fan of Obama. She attended one of the events former President Clinton spoke at Thursday, as well as earlier this week when Caroline Kennedy campaigned for Obama. She said another visit by Obama probably wouldn't have swayed her vote, but she would have tried to attend.

"I love the attention," she said.

Many assume northwest Indiana will be a strength for Obama because it is in the Chicago television market, where the Illinois senator had received a lot of coverage since being elected in 2004. But Marie Eisenstein, an assistant professor of political science at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, said she doesn't believe that is so.

"Even though we sit in the shadow of the third largest media market, that's not going to help him because there are stalwart voting demographics that lean toward Hillary in northwest Indiana," she said.

She cited the large number of Hispanics and blue-collar workers who live in the region.

"It's not going to matter to them that he's from Illinois," she said. "I don't see that as a benefit to him in this case."

She said Clinton's visibility in the region could help her on Tuesday.

"Some of this comes down to intangibles. They want to be able to hear a candidate themselves, see a candidate in person and make an assessment as to this individual," she said.

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