Obama Shifts Blue-Collar Strategy

Moving to beef up his appeal to blue-collar voters in Indiana, Barack Obama is changing the tone of his campaign there, trading big rallies for more intimate town-hall sessions; the weekend included stops at a Methodist church and a basketball court, the New York Times reports. “I’ve got to be more present,” Obama said on Fox News. “I’ve got to be knocking on more doors.”

In Q&A sessions, Obama talks with voters instead of at them; his advisers are pushing him to highlight his modest upbringing and work as a community organizer. And he has toned down attacks on Hillary Clinton, keeping his message positive after a sharper style in Pennsylvania. With subtle shifts, he hopes to quell Democratic worry over his general-election potential—as well as win a close contest in Indiana. (More Barack Obama stories.)