President Obama To Campaign in Bowie Thursday

President Barack Obama will travel to Bowie State University Thursday afternoon to drum up support for Gov. Martin O'Malley's bid for reelection against Republican Robert Ehrlich.

Thursday's rally will be Obama's second visit – his first as president -- to Bowie State, Maryland's oldest historically black university. Obama came to the 145-year-old institution four years ago on a campaign stop.

The campaign event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled to start at about 1:50 p.m. Space will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event will take place outside if the weather permits, according to Tammi L. Thomas, Director of University Relations and Marketing at Bowie State.

Because event organizers and university officials expect record crowds, they are encouraging people to carpool or take public transportation – either metro bus or the MARC train's Penn Line, which stops at the university. Organizers say to expect "airport-like security" at Thursday's event.

Visitors will not be permitted to park on campus. The only available parking will be at Bowie Race Track, according to a memo by Bowie State Police Chief Ernest Waiters. The parking lot there will open at 10 a.m. Shuttle buses to campus will start running at 10:30 a.m. The gates will open at 12:30 p.m.

With four weeks until the general election, O'Malley has opened his largest lead yet over Ehrlich. O'Malley leads Ehrlich 49 percent to 41 percent, according to an Oct. 4 Rasmussen poll of likely voters. Until Monday's poll, Rasmussen pollsters had declared the race a toss-up, as the two candidates were virtually tied over the summer months. With the most recent polling data, Rasmussen now has moved the race into the "leans democratic" category.

Voter turnout in democratic strongholds like Prince George's County, political observers say, is the key to O'Malley's reelection in November.

Although registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 2 to 1 in Maryland, Ehrlich was able to turn the tide to defeat democratic candidate Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in 2002. Ehrlich lost four years later to O'Malley.

Local democratic leaders say Thursday's event featuring President Obama is aimed at getting county Democrats to the polls on Election Day after an unusually low turnout in last month's primary election. Only 20 percent of county voters cast ballots in September's primary election.

"The governor and his team want to make sure there's a good turnout. They are trying to energize the base here," said Nicole Williams, president of the Prince George's County Young Democrats.

"With this rally, they are bringing in the heavy hitters. Even though Maryland is a democratic state, it's not a given. This will be about energizing voters and reminding them how important it is and how what happens in this election will impact them," said Todd Turner, president of the Oden Bowie Democratic Club.

Other elected democratic leaders scheduled to attend include: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Rep. Donna Edwards and Rep. Chris Van Hollen.