MONTPELIER, Vt.—For the next 13 days, Vermonters are going to get a rare taste of presidential politics as the two United States senators seeking the Democratic presidential nomination ask for their votes.
Last week, the campaign of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama opened a campaign office and started running television ads in the state. On Wednesday, the campaign of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton formally rolled out former Gov. Madeleine Kunin and House Speaker Gaye Symington as the co-chairs of her Vermont effort.
And the Clinton campaign also announced it was sending campaign staff to Vermont and starting to run a television ad.
"We're very pleased (to participate) because we know that this is an important primary," Kunin said in a conference call with reporters arranged by the Clinton campaign.
Some feel there are few policy differences between Obama and Clinton. But the New York senator, in a satellite interview with WCAX television, said health care was one area where she differed from Obama.
"I am strongly in favor of universal health care and I have presented a plan to achieve that. Sen. Obama has not and I know how many Vermonters are interested in quality, affordable health care for everyone," Clinton said.
At least so far, the Obama campaign is running three television ads and at least one radio ad. The Clinton campaign is running one television ad.
And if the spending this week at Vermont's largest television station is any indication, Obama is outspending Clinton as well.
The Obama campaign is spending $60,000 on ads at Vermont's largest television station, WCAX-TV in Burlington, while Clinton is spending $15,000, said General Sales Manager Bruce Grindle. So far, neither campaign has bought any time for next week, Grindle said.
U.S. Sen. John McCain, the front-running Republican in the race, hasn't bought any air time through the station, Grindle said.
With Obama beginning to pull ahead in the race for the delegates needed to win the nomination, Clinton knows she needs to do well in the March 4 primaries. Texas and Ohio are the main goals, but delegates are also at stake in Vermont and Rhode Island.
The Obama campaign is starting to draw in support from some of the state's most famous politicians and cultural icons. And this week anyway, Obama is outspending Clinton on the state's largest television station.
Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy and ice cream magnates Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield endorsed Obama.
Kunin said it was up to voters to decide who would win Vermont, not political pundits.
"I think a presumption is premature," Kunin said of Obama's perceived edge in Vermont. "We haven't really begun to fight. I sense a lot of strong support for Hillary Clinton."
The Obama campaign is running three television ads. Clinton is running one. And the Obama campaign started running a radio ad Wednesday featuring Leahy and his wife, Marcelle.
"I'm very happy with how things are going in Vermont for us," said Obama state director Rob Hill. "There was an enormous level of volunteer activity that had grown up organically before we even got here."
It's unlikely Vermont will see either of the candidates, but Kunin said Chelsea Clinton could visit.
Hill said it's unclear whether Obama or a surrogate will visit Vermont.
"The schedule is very fluid right now," Hill said. "We're talking to Chicago about sending all kinds of people out here."
