Candidates Eye Delegate-Rich California
Candidates eye delegate-rich California as Super Tuesday draws near.
Feb 2, 2008— -- In the words of one top Democratic strategist, California is "the whole enchilada."
Of all the 24 states voting on Tuesday, California offers up the most delegates -- 441 for Democrats and 173 on the Republican side.
It is no surprise then that this past week saw all five of the major candidates criss-crossing California -- hosting large rallies, far different than the intimate settings of the early primary states.
California is both geographically immense and demographically diverse. Its economy stretches from the entertainment capital of Hollywood to the high tech bastion of Silicon Valley to farms and orchards and vinyards.
Its voters have put both conservative Republicans like Ronald Reagan and liberal Democrats like Gerry Brown in the governor's mansion, and some see the current occupant, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, as a kind of political hybrid.
"California is a huge state ... 35 million people, 15 million voters, 53 different congressional districts," political consultant Allan Hoffenblum said.
Certain issues scream for attention here. Even Republicans talk about green energy when they visit the Golden State.
The home mortgage crisis hit hard in California and the candidates have been quick to pick up on it.
"Our economy could be heading into free fall," an ad for Sen. Hillary Clinton running on television here says.
Because of the state's size, TV ads are by far the easiest way to reach California's more than 15 million voters, and each of the candidates are making their presence felt on the airwaves.
"As a prisoner of war, John McCain was inspired by Ronald Reagan," says one of the Arizona senator's ads, showing a picture of him as a P.O.W.
"Barack Obama could have cashed in. Instead he fought for change," an ad for the Illinois Democrat says.
"I have spent my life running things," former Massachusetts Gov. Romney says in his ad.
Latinos make up 18 percent of voters in California, and they're not all necessarily Democrats. Ads have been running in both English and Spanish targeting the crucial latino vote.
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