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Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano came to Madison Wednesday in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to encourage volunteers at Wisconsin-based campaign offices to continue to phone bank, canvass and encourage voters to show up at the polls.

“Wisconsin is a battleground state, and we have got to get the vote out,” Napolitano said.

Napolitano emphasized the differences between Obama and Republican John McCain, who is also from Arizona, saying their economic policies differ greatly, with McCain giving tax cuts to the wealthy while Obama focuses more on the middle class.

“With Barack, you’ve got a very focused and steady economic policy with the middle class and working families at its center,” Napolitano said. “He’s really thinking about what we need to do to stimulate jobs, grow jobs and keep jobs to get this economy moving again.”

She said when there was a bill up for vote to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in Arizona, McCain voted against it, while Obama promotes extending and expanding children’s healthcare.

Although a win in Arizona — McCain’s home state — may be a stretch for Obama, Wisconsin is an important battleground state and will be a key state for Obama to win, Napolitano said.

Napolitano will be traveling across the state to host canvass and phone bank kickoffs and Vote for Change events in Stevens Point, Appleton, West Bend and Oak Creek.

According to Mark Bednar, co-chair of Students for McCain, McCain has always been a staunch advocate for the middle class.

“He believes in steady and fair progress through the working class of America, and he has accomplished this through allowing freedom of choice and allowing businesses to compete around the world in a free trade environment,” Bednar said.

According to Bednar, the fact that the governor of Arizona came to Wisconsin in support of Obama is of little importance to the McCain campaign. He said most politicians will support the presidential candidate of their party, and because Napolitano is a Democrat, it comes as no surprise to Bednar that she supports Obama.

“It’s interesting that she came here to show her support (for Obama), but there are four secretaries of state that have endorsed McCain, and over 200 generals and admirals have endorsed him as well,” Bednar said. “These sorts of prominent and political figures have much importance.”

As to whether Obama has a chance to win Arizona, Napolitano said it is a possibility given McCain has a 45 to 38 percent lead over Obama. Still, she said it would be a difficult win. Bednar said the McCain campaign believes the Republican will win Arizona in a landslide.