INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Conventional wisdom was that Indiana's 15 minutes of political fame were over when the frenzied Democratic presidential campaign rolled out of the state after the May 6 primary.

But Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee-in-waiting, is retrenching in Indiana in hopes of keeping a traditional stronghold for Republican presidential candidates in play heading toward the November general election.

Some Republicans say Obama is simply trying to get Republican rival John McCain to spend significant resources in a state he otherwise would largely bypass. The Obama camp dismisses that.

"It's about competing in a state we can win and his commitment here," said Jonathan Swain, who recently left his post as press secretary to Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh to become Obama's communications director in Indiana.

Obama is running television ads in 18 states, including Indiana and some other reliable GOP strongholds. University of Notre Dame political scientist Robert Schmuhl, 59, said he could not remember a Democratic presidential hopeful running TV ads here after a primary.

That's no surprise, since a Democratic presidential nominee has not won Indiana since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Obama also has opened an office at state party headquarters and plans to add at least 20 regional offices around the state in the coming weeks.

He assigned Emily Parcell, his political director in Iowa when he won that state's caucus to jump-start his campaign, to be his Indiana director now.

Indiana also hosted 30 "Unite for Change" parties last weekend as part of a national effort to re-energize Obama's primary supporters and woo former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's backers, as well as Republicans and independents.

Melissa Achtien, who hosted such an event at her home in Fishers, said she has always voted for Republican presidential nominees. But she supported Obama in the primary and will vote for him in November, in part because he opposed the invasion of Iraq.

She said she has knocked on at least 500 doors for Obama in largely Republican Hamilton County.

"I was shocked at the number of Republicans who said they would give him a look," said Achtien, 48.

As of the end of May, Obama had substantially out-raised McCain both nationally and in Indiana this election cycle. He had taken in about $1.2 million from Indiana, while McCain had received about $587,000.

But McCain showed Tuesday that he has formidable fundraising power in Indiana. After speaking at a national sheriff's convention in Indianapolis, he attended a private fundraiser that Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi — an honorary finance co-chairman for McCain in Indiana — said would net the senator at least $850,000.

Brizzi is among Republicans who say the Obama campaign's presence in Indiana at this stage is an effort to get McCain to spend money here that he otherwise would not.

"It's an interesting strategy to camp out in a traditional red state, and if he wants to waste resources here, we're happy to have him do it," Brizzi said.

Leah Yoon, communications director for McCain in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, said the campaign was working closely with a "well-oiled" Indiana Republican Party and had a network of volunteers here.

"They (the Obama campaign) can allocate as many resources as they want or need in this state, but we know that in November, it's McCain's record that is basically going to prevail," she said. "We absolutely will not take any voters for granted, but we are also very confident we are going to win this state."

Still, observers note that the close Democratic presidential primary contest energized a lot of people in Indiana and introduced Obama to them. It was the most hotly contested presidential primary the state has ever seen.

Although Clinton won with 51 percent of the vote, it was a much smaller margin of victory than many had expected.

"The big question for Democrats now is how long the energy from the primary contest will continue," said Schmuhl, the Notre Dame professor. "Will we see that level of enthusiasm throughout the fall, or was it a consequence of a competitive primary contest?"