KOKOMO, Ind. -- Gasoline reached $3.75 a gallon last week in a state that has become a must-win for Hillary Clinton and a test of the appeal of Barack Obama's economic prescriptions.
For Hoosiers who drive long miles on rail-straight highways for jobs once closer to home, soaring prices for everyday necessities create an unsettled backdrop for Tuesday's primary.
"Folks are concerned about the lunch-bucket kind of issues: the cost of food, the price of gas," said Tim Joyce, chief of staff to the late Democratic Gov. Frank L. O'Bannon, and who now runs an agency that helps the homeless. "Folks are listening to messages and saying, `What does this mean to me?'"
Polls show a tight contest here that could hinge on various factors, from the economy to turnout in larger cities to the number of Republicans who decide to cast ballots in the Democratic primary. Voters in Indiana don't register by party, and there is no practical prohibition on Republicans and independents voting in Democratic races. Thousands likely will, but it's unclear who will benefit more.
Obama could all but knock Clinton out of the Democratic presidential race if he combined a win in North Carolina with a victory in Indiana, something that seemed within reach just several weeks ago. But chances of such a sweep are shrinking, despite his recent pickup of a pair of influential superdelegates here. Indiana could well join Pennsylvania and Ohio as heartland states keeping the Clinton campaign afloat.
On the offensive
Clinton's aggressive talk about taking on oil companies and suspending the federal gasoline tax is providing buoyancy to her candidacy, as Obama is being dragged down by attention to his association with a controversial pastor.
She's driving home the message with frequent television commercials and a wave of appearances across the state - more than 80, she said, when events by her husband and daughter are included. The number is growing this weekend, and Clinton and Obama will each appear on morning news programs today broadcast from Indiana.
Clinton is finding enthusiastic responses during her tour from supporters who like to wave "Hoosiers for Hillary" signs.
"She ran this country for eight years. She can run it for another eight years," said Bill Swaggerty, 44, a United Auto Workers member at Delphi Corp., an auto parts supplier that employs 5,000 in Kokomo and has filed for bankruptcy protection. "You ask her a question, and she'll answer. I love the woman. I love the way she speaks, and thinks."
