Obama Looks to Expand the Playing Field in Arizona

Arizona will be in the spotlight in the coming days as Republicans duke it out in the Grand Canyon States Feb. 28 presidential primary. But, according to this blog from the Arizona Republic, Barack Obamas team is looking to make a push to carry it in 2012. Obama lost Arizona by 9 points in 2008 -- but then John McCain was a favorite son of the state. When Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole there in 1996, he became the first Democrat since Harry Truman to carry Arizona -- and no Democrat since then has won there in presidential elections.

Obama will be playing more defense than offense in November. There are few states on the map that he can pick up that he did not win in 2008 -- but Arizona could be one of them. Still, the Democrat incumbent has to be more concerned with letting states slip away from his column -- North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and, yes, Florida. It won't be easy for Obama to carry Arizona -- but there will be few other states he can pick up from the Republican column come November.