WTHR |Obama's strategy pays off in Indiana

Obama's strategy pays off in Indiana

Indianapolis - The election was so close in Indiana that the state wasn't called for Barack Obama until after 2:00 am Wednesday.

Seventy-seven Indiana counties supported republican John McCain, but the red counties are mostly rural, lower populated areas.

Only 15 counties swung blue for Barack Obama. But they include counties with larger cities and universities where the younger voters are.

The excitement at the Democratic Party headquarters election night was unmistakable.

"Absolutely unbelievable. Unbelievable. I wanted it but had no idea it would actually happen," said one supporter who was overcome with emotion.

But on Tuesday night it did. Senator Barack Obama was elected president. It all started months early in the contested Indiana primary.

"Who would have thought that Indiana would be voting to help pick a president?" Sen. Hillary Clinton asked at a rally during the primary.

Indiana would vote after the late Tim Russert hosted Meet the Press in Studio A at Channel 13. Russert's interview with Obama on that Sunday morning garnered the highest ratings in the program's history but that didn't translate into a win. Senator Hillary Clinton went on to capture the primary but Senator Obama would clinch the nomination and astutely hire some Clinton staffers in the Hoosier state to retool for the general election to come.

"After the primary you think, how could things get any better. Indiana in the national spotlight," said Jonathan Swain, Obama Indiana campaign.

Obama would refine the message to kitchen table economic issues and began his quest to turn a red state blue. He began to challenge the way Hoosiers thought as he revealed in a one on one interview with WTHR's Andrea Morehead.

"Number three. Green economy. We've got a green energy problem. Everybody knows it because of gas prices but it's also an opportunity," he said.

For a long time it seemed as though Senator Barack Obama was running unopposed, traversing Indiana without Republican opposition until another woman entered the fray: Senator John McCain's running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

"I think we will hold this state and I certainly hope so," Palin told Eyewitness News.

Republicans started attracting large crowds. Senator Obama countered on the American Legion Mall, where a crowd of over 35,000 heard him speak.

"Here in America our destiny is not written for us. It is written by us. We decide our futures," he said.

He would frame the debate against President Bush prompting Senator McCain to fire back during a presidential debate.

"If you wanted to run against George Bush you should have run four years ago," McCain said.

Republicans said Obama's flirtation with Indiana was a bluff.

"Everyone said it was a bluff but it turned into a real battleground," said Swain.

Obama's strategy forced McCain to schedule a campaign stop in Indianapolis on the last day of the campaign.

"They don't know the Mac is back," he told supporters who gathered at the Indianapolis Airport.

Hoosiers would decide differently, giving Senator Barack Obama a slight edge.

"He had unlimited resources and he spent them here. He had hundreds of staffers and Senator McCain just couldn't compete at that level," said Murray Clark, Indiana GOP chairman.

Obama's efforts led to the first victory by a Democrat in Indiana since 1964 and a date with history.

Final numbers for Indiana:

Barack Obama: 1,352,356 (50%)
John McCain: 1,329,370 (49%)
Bob Barr: 28,980 (1%)