From staff reports
news@joplinglobe.com
Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, will campaign Saturday night during a rally in Springfield, according to a statement issued by the campaign.
The Obamas will be at JFK Stadium at Parkview High School, 516 Meadowmere St. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with the Obamas expected to address supporters later that night.
The rally is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, although an RSVP is strongly recommended.
Obama’s visit to Springfield will mark the third time the Democratic presidential candidate has visited Missouri in the past two weeks, according to the campaign.
Obama and his Republican opponent Sen. John McCain are hotly contesting Missouri, where a recent poll conducted for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and television station KMOV showed the rivals even among likely voters.
Obama addressed a crowd Thursday night at the University of Missouri at Columbia. Running-mate Sen. Joe Biden, meanwhile, rallied with laid-off autoworkers during a stop Thursday in Arnold, Mo.
The Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, received a rousing welcome during a swing Thursday through Cape Girardeau.
The Alaska governor spoke to several thousand people at the Show-Me Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. The arena holds a little more than 7,000 people.
Both presidential and vice-presidential candidates have visited Springfield in the past four months.
Palin addressed a crowd of about 20,000 during an Oct. 24 stop at outdoor outfitter Bass Pro Shops.
Biden staged a rally Oct. 10 at Jordan Valley Park in Springfield.
About 1,500 people crammed into the Glendale High School gym July 30 to hear Obama detail plans to bolster the economy and lessen dependence on foreign oil.
And McCain called for a mix of new and cleaner power sources during a town-hall forum June 18 at Missouri State University in Springfield.
To RSVP
Space for Saturday’s rally is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Members of the public can RSVP at http://MO.barackobama.com.
