Kerry-Obama Symbiosis

The Independent (UK) looks at John Kerry's one-man-plan for getting out the vote among African-Americans:

The Kerry campaign is, meanwhile, turning to a new superstar in the Democratic Party to boost turnout numbers. He is Barack Obama, the Illinois state senator who wowed the party's Boston convention in July with his keynote speech. Mr Obama is so far ahead in his bid to capture a US Senate seat that he is increasingly switching his time and dollars to campaigning for Mr Kerry.

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In coming days, Mr Obama, meanwhile, whose father was from Kenya and mother from Kansas, is expected to travel both to California and to Colorado - itself a fiercely contested state - to campaign for Mr Kerry. In the past week, his campaign has donated cheques worth $260,000 to Democratic Senate candidates in 13 states.

"Turnout is huge," Mr Obama said after a rally in Wisconsin this week. "If there are selective things that we can do that can be helpful, then we want to do them. The Kerry people are still making determinations as to what states remain in play. Safe to say we will probably have a couple more travel days this month."

When the history of the 2004 election is written, the elevation of Barack Obama to national prominence at the Democratic convention may well be recognized as the single most significant decision made by the Kerry campaign.