Valley Presidential Campaign | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Fresno, CA All over Fresno yard signs are evidence that the candidates do have lots of supporters who have made up their minds. This last debate is crucial to connecting with the true undecided for their support at the polls and from their pocketbooks.

Republican Bill Jones, former secretary of state here in California, is John McCain's state campaign chair, "As people get more focused on the election and the undecided start to solidify then those people may in fact give for the first time."

He's not surprised that his choice for president would send out pre-paid FedEx envelopes to potential donors during the last legs of this marathon race for the White House. The request to help fund the last 3 weeks of campaigning is intended for those who have already given and likely to do so again says Jones, "You're trying to raise money right up to the end and, again, your raising rate goes up 'cause people get focused."

At the Obama headquarters in northwest Fresno the buzz is about the campaign's latest 'Internet' fundraising. X-box gamers racing through the cyber streets of Paradise City will pass by an Obama bill board asking for them to vote. Perhaps says Obama's valley representative Leslie Hiatt says they may donate to the cause as well, "He's raised record amounts of money, yet his donor base is huge." Obama, he adds, offers voters new ideas, "The last couple of weeks have shown a clear picture of these two candidates. So as far as experience it's relevant to how you see them and their judgment."

Both candidates are using the internet to solicit contributions and to provide real time options to see and hear from the respective "tickets" without the filter of the media.

And both campaigns agree this last debate is an opportunity for /*McCain*/ and /*Obama*/ to nudge the undecided off the fence and help their final choice fund the final weeks of the campaign. As Bill Jones puts it, "Most people focus on the election in the last 30 days."

At this point the actual time left is 18 days and counting down.

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