The Democrats think that “hope is making a comeback”, as former first lady Michelle Obama put it in her speech to the Democratic National Convention (DNC). The party has recently begun to pick up more votes in the ever-crucial swing states (those that often move between Republicans and Democrats) that will determine the outcome of the presidential election in November.
But as Barack Obama pointed out in his DNC speech, the race is still tight and the party has lots of work to do to win the election. As we see it, there are five key issues that have particular resonance in those swing states (which include Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Wisconsin) and that have both immediate and long-term significance.
