Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama are canvassing Baltimore neighborhoods and pushing their presidential candidate days before the pivotal primary.
“I?ve been to church to church [Sunday], and people are very excited,” said U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore, who is the co-chairman of Obama?s Maryland election committee.
In a conference call Sunday, co-chairmen Cummings and Attorney General Doug Gansler said much effort has been made to reach Hispanic, Asian and women?s groups to bring diverse voters to the polls for Tuesday?s primary.
As for voter turnout, bothchairmen said they expect higher-than-usual numbers because the primary may play a key role in the tight race between Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. Hilary Clinton, D-N.Y.
Obama?s backers remain confident about his chances despite former President Bill Clinton stumping for Hillary on Sunday in the Baltimore region.
“We literally have 4,000 people knocking on doors,” Gansler said, adding that 150 elected officials are also backing Obama.
Obama?s deputy national campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, is slightly more cautious.
“We feel pretty good … but we?re also quite nervous,” Hildebrand said during the conference call. “Things are happening quickly and can change quickly.”
An Obama rally will begin at 2:30 p.m. today at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore City, with the candidate himself speaking at 4:45 p.m.
The arena “holds 13,600 people, and we expect an overflow crowd,” Cummings said. Obama drew 20,000 people to a rally in Delaware last week.
Obama?s wife, Michelle, will be in Montgomerytoday, then a to-be-determined rally on the Eastern Shore.
While the rallies may draw sizable crowds, it?s the neighborhood canvassing that officials said may help drum up support for Obama.
“We are putting volunteers in the street in a serious way, so people are hearing the campaign at the door and not from the television,” Hildebrand said.
