Courting the white Wisconsin working class

EAU CLAIRE | One man says 'there is still racism' and that Obama will have to tell his story

One day after naming Joe Biden as his VP, Barack Obama went to one of the last places you would expect to find a black man in America: the Rod and Gun Park in Eau Claire, Wis.

That's right, rod and gun, as in fishin' and shootin'.

Obama didn't do either. What he did do was allow the small gathering of working-class, mostly white voters to get a closer look at him.

The invitation-only BBQ event kicks off a tour of battleground states and will include stops in Davenport, Iowa; Kansas City, Mo.; and Billings, Mont.

After attending a service at a Lutheran church, Obama arrived at the park shortly before noon and took center stage under a canopy of towering trees.

Obama was introduced by 43-year-old Scott Campbell, a white working-class family man who is juggling three jobs to support two college-age daughters and a daughter who will soon be getting married.

Campbell said he has been called a "traitor" for supporting Obama.

After his introduction, I asked him to expand on his remarks.

"I have been told that if I disagree with the Republican Party, if I disagree with what they stand for, I'm a traitor," Campbell explained.

In order to win places like Eau Claire, Obama will have to "tell his story" and "jump across the racial divide," Campbell said.

"Let's face it, there is still racism in this country. I have been told by lifelong Democrats that they will not vote for him, and they will not tell me why."

Wisconsin's governor, Tim Doyle, and Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold urged attendees to get busy.

"We have to work every single day between now and November to make sure Barack Obama is our next president," Doyle said.

With his trademark rolled-up sleeves, Obama made a relaxed presentation before an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 people.

He concentrated on the failing economy and rising gas prices, and repeatedly reminded people that it was the Republicans who steered the country into such rocky waters.

"If we don't do anything about how the economy works, we may be passing on an America to the next generation that is a little poorer and a little meaner than the America we inherited from our parents and grandparents," he said.

"And that is un-American. . . . [John] McCain represents four more years of the same attitude and same out-of-touch policies."

After the barbecue, Obama headed directly back to the airport to return to Chicago, but he paused abruptly before boarding the jet to speak to reporters.

He was "thrilled," he told us, that Joe Biden will be his running mate.

"He's a middle-class American who hasn't forgotten his working-class roots and has the expertise that would make him a great counselor in an international crisis," Obama said.

"More importantly, I think he can help shape long-term strategy to keep America more secure and move us out of the disastrous economic and foreign policies that have characterized the last eight years."

Obama also shared some thoughts on the Democratic National Convention, which officially opens today. His wife, Michelle, will speak during prime-time coverage.

"I can't wait to hear Michelle speak. I got a preview of the video they did on her, and she was extraordinary," he said.

Obama, whose personal cachet skyrocketed after his speech at the Democratic convention in 2004, said he is still "tooling" around with his acceptance speech, which he will give before an estimated 75,000 people Thursday.

"It may not be as good as the other headliners on the first three nights," he said. "Hopefully, it will make clear the choices the American people will face in November."