Obama back on the air in Florida

DENVER -- Democrat Barack Obama's campaign manager said Florida voters should be seeing television advertising again, following a hiatus last week due to Tropical Storm Fay.

David Plouffe aacknowledged the campaign faced a "deficit'' in Florida because Obama did not compete in the state's renegade early primary. In contrast, John McCain campaigned hard before the Jan. 29 primary.

"He had a three-month head start -- that's a huge deal,'' Plouffe said. "To be where we are today, we're very heartened by."

Statewide polls show McCain with a slim lead, even though he has spent no money on local TV ads. Obama spent $7.2 million in Florida advertising in June and July.

Plouffe said Obama will deprive McCain of Florida by increasing turnout among the hundreds of thousands of African Americans and young voters who stayed home in 2004. He also said Obama "is winning Hispanics'' in Florida by going after non Cuban- Americans.

"If John McCain doesn't win the state of Florida has has no chance to win the presidency, so we're going to fight like heck,'' he said.