The day after Hillary Clinton’s win in Kentucky and Barack Obama’s projected win in Oregon, both candidates have traveled to Florida to let Democratic voters know they haven’t been forgotten. Neither candidate has campaigned in the state since it was announced that it would be punished for moving its primary up - a move that defied DNC rules.

Obama is seeking to mend fences in a key general election state snubbed by the Democratic National Committee. Clinton is continuing her push to have the state’s primary count and its delegates seated at the party’s national convention in Denver in August.

“My campaign is actively working with the Clinton campaign, the Florida Democratic Party and the DNC, which is responsible for setting and enforcing these rules, to reach an agreement that will give Floridians a voice at the convention,” Obama told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Obama did not say how he wants the dispute resolved, only that it’s important to find a solution so the party can focus on winning the state in November.

And Obama sure has some work to do in Florida.

TIME has an interesting analysis of the situation:

Many Florida Democrats consider him AWOL and even indifferent to their efforts to get the DNC to reinstate their delegates and make their January votes count. Obama “has repair work to do,” says Democratic state Senator Nan Rich, a South Florida Clinton backer. “Rank-and-file Democrats here are frankly distressed by the fact that he appears disconnected from the state.”

Granted, Clinton’s fight on Florida’s behalf is driven more by desperation than by principle. She didn’t challenge the DNC’s draconian sanctions early in the campaign when she was well ahead in the polls; but now she needs Florida’s delegates and popular vote to have even a small chance to grab the nomination. Obama didn’t question the DNC either; and now that he’s the front-runner it’s in his best interest to simply run out the clock. But that kind of political calculus isn’t going to ease bruised feelings in the state.

In an interesting choice of words, an AP article says there is “bitterness” among the state’s Democrats over the fact that they’ve been largely ignored by the candidates this primary season. Obama - the likely Democratic nominee - will have to work tactfully to repair relations with Florida voters and, at the same time, not back down on his stance that the state’s delegates should not be seated as they were determined earlier. He’ll need the support of the state’s key demographics in November, TIME points out:

And of all the large states Obama has had trouble winning in the primaries, Florida presents one of his biggest challenges in the general election. His bond with Latino voters is tepid at best; the Jewish community was wary of Obama’s commitment to Israel well before President Bush hurled last week’s “appeasement” charges his way; Florida’s elderly, particularly women, form a solid Clinton base, and PR problems like Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the elitist label remain a wall between Obama and many northern Floridians, especially in the state’s conservative, blue-collar Panhandle.

It will be interesting to see what Obama will say to win over Floridians during his three-day trip around the state, and to see if both candidates and the DNC can work out a deal to have the Florida delegates seated in some capacity.