Baldacci urges more outreach to working-class voters

DENVER – Gov. John Baldacci, who attended the Democratic National Convention here this week, said he believes Barack Obama, the party’s nominee for president, needs to do more to reach out to working and middle class voters whose support will be critically important in the November election.

Baldacci was originally a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and switched his support to Obama when Clinton withdrew from the race.

Baldacci said Clinton successfully spoke to the lower-income and middle class voters often known as “Reagan Democrats” who in large numbers supported her during the primaries.

Obama needs to make those voters comfortable with him and communicate to them that he understands their economic concerns, said Baldacci in an interview on the floor of the convention earlier in the week before Obama gave his acceptance speech.

“He needs to reach out to the working folks in Maine and around the country,” Baldacci said. “Nobody is fighting for them and Mrs. Clinton tapped into that.”

“He needs to. The campaign needs to,” Baldacci continued.

Baldacci said he did not think early in the week that enough attention had been paid at the convention to the concerns of working people – “lunch bucket issues.”

“They need a voice. They need a fighter,” the governor said.

Despite this, Baldacci said he strongly supports Obama’s candidacy, adding, “I’m going to do everything I can to help him be successful.”