After the cancellation Monday of his planned visit to Madison, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he will be visiting Indianapolis Thursday morning instead.

Obama will suspend his campaign later Thursday and Friday in order to travel to Hawaii to visit his grandmother, 85-year-old Madelyn Dunham, whose health is ailing. He is expected to resume his campaign starting Saturday.

However, after cancelling three visits on Thursday and Friday, including a rally that was to be held at the state Capitol in Madison, he scheduled a visit to Indianapolis for Thursday morning.

“Changes were made in the schedule to make room to go to Hawaii at the end of the week to see his grandmother,” said Phil Walzak, Wisconsin communications director for the Obama campaign. “Part of the change will include a morning rally in Indiana, which, as he’s coming from Virginia, is an easier, more feasible option logistically.”

While the stop in Indiana may be more feasible, that state is also becoming a much more important battleground state than Wisconsin.

A poll released Tuesday by Public Policy Polling puts Obama ahead of Republican presidential nominee John McCain by only two points in Indiana, with a 48-46 lead. The Mason-Dixon/NBC survey released Sunday puts Obama ahead 12 points of McCain in Wisconsin, with a 51-39 lead.

Although the numbers may suggest Obama changed course for a more competitive state, Walzak said, “I have not had any information on that, and the reason for the change is a strong desire to get to Hawaii.”

While some Obama fans were upset the Illinois senator cancelled Thursday’s event, most students were understanding, according to Claire Rydell, chair of College Democrats.

“We fully understand that it is very personal, and we wish him and his grandmother the best, and I think the general level is complete understanding and support for them,” Rydell said.

She added she thought the change in venue from Madison to Indianapolis was completely understandable.

McCain stretches advertisement in Wisconsin

With the election only two weeks away, advertising and campaign spending are becoming increasingly important.

On Tuesday, McCain booked airtime in Wisconsin for the final two weeks without spending much more money by stretching his existing ad space over the final two weeks, with ads no longer running every day.

Campaign finance has also caused a large gap between the candidates, as Obama now has a $37 million advantage over McCain nationally.

“When Obama went back on his promise that he would not take public financing, we knew we would be outspent on this election,” said Kirsten Kukowski, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “We have found efficient and effective ways to use resources, and we feel that we have what it takes to do the job.”

However, according to Walzak, it isn’t the money but the message that plays a large role when winning votes.

“We have seen from Obama a consistent message that has been very specific about how we need to turn the economy around for middle-class Americans,” Walzak said. “The other side has been inconsistent with more of the same failed George Bush policies of the last eight years, and they want a change.”

Regardless of the differences, both sides agree that Wisconsin is a battleground state and, according to Walzak, could be the state that decides who is the next president of the United States.

“Wisconsin is considered a battleground state, and we are fighting for it aggressively, and we will continue to do that for the next 13 days,” he said.