Obama's visit may be limited to fund raising
Demo candidate may appear only at fund-raising event
No public event or press availability were scheduled as of Friday during Obama's brief swing through Utah for an afternoon fund-raiser at a Park City home where supporters will pay up to $2,300 to spend time with the candidate. But there were indications Friday night that could change and Obama could make a quick stop en route to speak with supporters who are planning to gather along state Route 224 with signs.
Organizer Nicole Norton said she'd like to see Obama stop and greet the rally participants.
"We want to show Obama there is support for a Democratic presidential candidate in Utah and give him a reason to come back," Norton said. "We're hoping he'll pull over. ... I think it would be really important for his campaign and for Utahns for this to happen."
More than 300 people are expected to attend the fund-raiser at the vacation home of one of Obama's top financiers, Mark Gilbert of Boca Raton, Fla., and, with a minimum donation of $500, as much as $250,000 could be collected.
The initial plans for Utah drew some criticism.
"I think it's a shame when a candidate comes to Utah and doesn't make himself available in some way to the public," said Kirk Jowers, director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and a Romney supporter.
Before Obama heads to Utah, he's to appear at a Southern Christian Leadership Conference awards dinner in Atlanta on Saturday night that's open to the press. And he's scheduled to leave Utah for a rural issues town meeting in Elko Sunday night.
"The fact that he is doing public events sandwiched around his Utah visit and won't make time even for a press event to address Utah voters is a little bit of a slap to Utah," Jowers said.
Nevada, though, is seen as a battleground state in 2008 and is holding presidential caucuses on Jan. 19, after Iowa's caucus and before New Hampshire's primary. And while Utah has a Feb. 5 presidential primary, the state is considered solidly Republican.
Misty Fowler, head of Utahns for Obama, said the state's residents will have a chance to see the candidate at some point. "He's definitely going to be back in Utah," Fowler said. "We're not being ignored by the Obama campaign at all."
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