Nebraska Becomes Unlikely Battleground

Boomer, Terry's campaign manager, also thinks the increasingly visible Obama effort will motivate Republicans, especially social conservatives, to turn out against him.

Walking through a heavily Republican working-class precinct in plastic ponchos, voter lists soaked by the rain, Anna Wolf and Gill Cromwell faced an uphill climb to win votes for Obama. Many people were not home. Others shook their heads firmly when asked if they would back the Illinois Democrat.

McCain is expected to win those precincts easily, but the young volunteers found a handful of possible supporters.

"I think he's more of the last eight years," said Tim Stastny, 31, a vending machine stocker, explaining why he plans to vote for Obama.

Postal worker Cheryl Foss, 48, was undecided. She has doubts about Obama's experience but prefers his middle-class tax cuts to McCain's focus on tax relief for wealthier Americans. McCain's choice of Palin particularly troubles Foss. She said of McCain, a 72-year-old melanoma survivor, "I'm afraid he might not be around and then it would be up to Palin."

More common in the neighborhood was deep skepticism about Obama.

Electrician Jeremy Miller, 30, thinks Obama would be a better president for the working class but believes the false reports that Obama -- a Christian born in Hawaii -- is actually a Muslim and a foreigner.

"Him not being an actual American, that's got me worried," Miller said. "This might be one of those years when I don't vote."

Cromwell, an 18-year-old volunteer, asked a woman whether she would support Obama.

"I doubt it," she answered.

Wolf, 22, an Obama staffer, asked whether she would like some campaign literature.

"No."

"We would encourage you to vote for Senator Barack Obama," Wolf politely persisted. "We believe he is the only person who can help bring change to Washington."

She shut the door, and the pair headed out, walking uphill, in search of any stray potential Obama supporters.