Candidates Have To Win Over New Yorkers To Win Election

Neither Senators John McCain nor Barack Obama can get to the White House without going through New York first. The state has polled double digits in Obama’s favor throughout this election. However, McCain vowed on Primary Day to make New York part of his national campaign.

In fact, McCain has strong ties to New York. He and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have been close since Bloomberg first ran for mayor seven years ago. And the mayor returned the favor this presidential election season.

McCain has made dozens of visits to New York City. He visited his daughter Megan while she was a student at Columbia University from 20003 to 2007 and gave the commencement speech two years ago. Columbia also happens to be Obama’s alma mater, where he graduated in 1983. Obama also lived in an apartment building on East 94th Street while he was an undergrad.

Like McCain, Obama returned to New York dozens of times since he declared his presidential candidacy 21 months ago. And it’s no secret he has a lot of supporters in the Big Apple. In fact, New Yorkers make the most “get out to vote” calls to other states from the Obama campaign's phone banks.

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Obama has raised more than money from New York City than any other city nationwide. McCain also recognized that many elitists live “in our nation’s capital and New York City.” Though Democrats outnumber Republicans 6 to 1 in Manhattan, residents in Upper East Side ZIP code 10021 gave McCain the most money than any other ZIP code in the country.

New York City is tied with Los Angeles as the highest fundraising city for the McCain campaign. Upper East Siders have donated $1 million of the $9 million McCain raised in New York State.

An analyst stated that much of that money comes from the financial services sector, and believed McCain would only serve his donors if he became president. Government aid to New York under the McCain administration would be narrowly targeted.

The analyst added that the financial services community donates in droves to Obama's campaign as well, but there is a big difference. Of the $600 million Obama has raised, nearly half of it has come from people donating $200 or less.