It’s official: Obama has hit all 50 states
He’s fourth president to make the rounds
President Obama joined another exclusive club Friday: White House occupants who have visited all 50 states.
When Obama touched down in Watertown, S.D., he joined presidents Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton in racking up all 50 states. (George W. Bush hit only 49, never visiting Vermont.)
Obama made a concerted effort this year to complete the list, focusing on Republican-leaning states that he had little reason to visit, politically speaking.
In the months leading up to this trip — where he delivered the commencement address at a community college — Obama made first visits to Idaho, Utah and South Carolina. Over the course of his presidency, Obama focused on states important to his 2008 and 2012 election bids.
The president’s most-visited states are the ones that border Washington, D.C.: Virginia (72 Obama visits) and Maryland (64).
Mark Knoller of CBS News, who collects presidential statistics, runs down some other Obama-favored states:
“New York (49 visits) has also been a favorite destination for the president because of the U.N. and because it’s home to quite a few wealthy Democratic donors.
“Ohio (41 visits) was decisive in Mr. Obama’s re-election victory. He won the state with 50% of the vote in 2012, compared to Mitt Romney’s 48%.
“And Florida (38 visits) is another fundraising mecca for Democrats.”