Obama, GOP claim superior ground games

President Obama's "ground game" -- actually getting people to the polls to vote -- produced a record turnout four years ago, but Republicans say they are catching up.

In a memo today, Republican Party Political Director Rick Wiley says the GOP is doing well with both early voting and absentee voting.

"Past trends in Iowa, North Carolina and Nevada show that Republicans turn out for early voting in greater numbers as we get closer to Election Day," Wiley wrote. "We've seen that already in Iowa and Ohio, and we are seeing the same trend develop again this year in North Carolina and Nevada, meaning the Republican advantage will grow in coming days."

Wiley says the percentage of absentee and early voting from Republicans "is greater than the percentage of registered voters which are Republican, indicating higher turnout rates among registered Republicans than among registered Democrats."

Also, "the data show Republicans making up a larger share of early voters this year than they did four years ago," Wiley said.

Obama aides challenged Republican methodology, and added that their ground game will improve its record-breaking performance of 2008.

"We're winning the early vote in the battleground states that will decide this election, and that's always been a key part of our plan to win 270 electoral votes," said Obama campaign spokesman Adam Fetcher. "We are outperforming our early vote margins in key states compared to 2008, and we're ahead of where we were against John McCain -- and most important, ahead of Mitt Romney."

In a separate memo, Obama National Field Director Jeremy Bird said Obama continues to lead where it counts:

"Among all voters, Democrats have a 10.7 point advantage over Republicans. Just under half (49.6 percent) of voters who have cast ballots are Democrats, while just 38.9 percent are Republicans.

"In the only two states -- Colorado and Florida -- where Republicans lead right now in total ballots cast, Democrats are cutting into traditional Republican leads there; we're doing better today than at this point in 2008.

"And once in-person early voting is included (it just started in Colorado on Monday and starts in Florida this weekend), Democrats will take the lead."