As a new member of the Illinois Senate, Barack Obama began trying to forge connections with voters in the southern part of the state; the results were mixed. Today he is the apparent Democratic presidential candidate, and some in the party are still concerned about his ability to win over voters in largely rural and blue collar areas.
In an article that appeared in the June 15, 2008, Washington Post, UIS Professor of Political Science Chris Mooney noted that one reason Obama has had an impact in southern Illinois is his constituent service.
Download a pdf file of the article
20080615-WP-RuralIllandObamasElectability.pdf
