On the day his Republican rival officially becomes the GOP standard-bearer, Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama will rally supporters on the lawn of Buchanan Park, his campaign confirmed Wednesday.
Obama's visit comes at a time when the Illinois senator is trying to hold on to a slim lead over John McCain in Pennsylvania.
The event — called "The Change We Need" — is open to the public and scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in the park, which borders Franklin & Marshall College at the corner of Buchanan and Race avenues. Gates open at 3 p.m. and tickets are not needed, but several thousand of people are expected to attend the event.
Because Pennsylvania is expected to play a crucial role in this year's election, experts say Obama believes he can pick up votes in Lancaster County and the surrounding area.
"Obama's event has something to say about the importance of southcentral PA," said G. Terry Madonna, director of F&M's Center for Politics & Public Affairs, who is in Minnesota attending the Republican National Convention. "Republicans can't lose the Philly suburbs and drop the percentage of their support in southcentral PA."
Obama is expected to talk about his plans to address the nation's struggling economy, touching on his proposed $500 to $1,000 tax cuts for "working" families, said Andrea Mead, an Obama spokeswoman.
"We're done with the rhetoric," Mead said. "Sen. Obama wants to come here to talk about what's important to Pennsylvanians."
Local Republicans said Obama's presence in Lancaster today will not steal the spotlight from McCain in St. Paul, Minn., where he is scheduled to accept the GOP's nomination tonight and speak to a national audience.
"It will be nice for the people of Lancaster County, after hearing Obama's grandiose speech … and that same night they'll hear John McCain lay out his plan for America," said Lancaster County Commissioner Scott Martin, who also is in Minnesota for the convention.
Madonna said Obama's not likely to say anything too explosive or eye-popping, since most of the national media will be focused on McCain.
"I don't see him doing anything remarkably different Thursday," Madonna said. "I don't see some new revelation."
Pennsylvania, despite the Democrats' more than 1 million edge in registered voters, is not necessarily an Obama stronghold. Realclearpolitics.com has Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by an average of 5 percentage points in polls of registered voters.
"Five percent isn't a huge amount," said Steve Peterson, director of Penn State-Harrisburg's School of Public Affairs. "Obama needs to look where he can do some good and find some votes. Lancaster is a place he needs votes."
Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray said Obama's visit is evidence of a campaign strategy aimed at drawing crossover support in more rural, traditionally Republican areas like Lancaster County.
"He wants to appeal to Republicans, Democrats and Independents, appeal across party lines and to their rationality and their hopes for the future rather than their fears for the future," Gray said.
In the April 22 state primary, Obama won Lancaster County, one of seven counties he took from Sen. Hillary Clinton. He lost Pennsylvania by about 10 percentage points.
E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com