(Host) First Lady Michelle Obama is making her first visit to Vermont since her husband overwhelmingly carried the state on his idea of bold change.
Eric Davis is a retired political science professor at Middlebury College. Davis says the first lady’s trip is primarily for fundraising for her husband’s re-election campaign, although she’ll also meet with members of the military.
Davis says Mrs. Obama will probably give standard fundraising speeches to donors.
(Davis) "…saying that the administration has built a record. The economy is slowly improving. Progress is being made. Osama bin Laden is dead. And that’s all why the American people should vote for a second term."
(Host) Davis says voters who donated to the Obama campaign in 2008 but are frustrated with the president’s first term could affect fundraising totals.
(Davis) "But I think also most Vermonters – even progressive Democrats who are dissatisfied on some of the issues – realize that there’s an enormous difference between President Obama and the alternatives – that any of the Republicans who are talking about running now would present a very, very different mix of policies."
(Host) The Obama campaign sent out a message on the social networking site Twitter over the weekend saying it will measure the strength of this re-election campaign in people, not dollars.
In 2008, Vermont was second only to the president’s home state of Hawaii in the percentage of voters who supported then Sen. Barack Obama.
President Obama was elected on the idea of bold change. Has his administration lived up to that ideal? Did you give money to Obama’s 2008 campaign? And, if so, will you support it financially in 2012? Let us know in the comment section below or on our Facebook page.