McCain's aides declined to discuss their internal polling on trade issues. But officials at the Republican National Committee, which is working closely with the campaign, said they believe McCain's argument will resonate in states such as Washington and Oregon that have benefited from trade.
John C. Green, a professor of political science at the University of Akron, suggested that McCain could also be trying to attract voters in the agricultural pockets of Ohio, Iowa and Wisconsin, where farmers rely on exports.
In a campaign that may be fought over the margins in states such as Ohio, Green said, McCain's aides may also believe they can pick off affluent independent voters.
While many people in Ohio are angry about U.S. trade agreements, Green said, "many of them are likely to vote Democratic anyway." McCain's arguments may be more palatable among professionals and small-business people in the Cleveland and Columbus suburbs.
"If they just looked at the opinion polls overall, on balance, opinion goes the other way," Green said. "But if you look at the most rapidly growing urban areas, they are all connected to the global economy."
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maeve.reston@latimes.com
