I had a chance to chat briefly over the phone last week with Ralph Munro, Washington’s former secretary of state and a vocal local supporter of Sen. John McCain.

Calling himself “just a foot soldier in the campaign,” he highlighted McCain’s Northwest credentials, including McCain’s military vet background and familiarity with issues that affect Western states, such as free trade and the environment.

Washington state is a toss-up, or “purple” state that might go either way, Munro said.

“Things are just starting to crank up,” in the general campaign, and “Obama’s basking in the limelight right now,” he said. 

But McCain’s free-trade stance might give him an edge in the Northwest. 

“He’s a free-trader,” Munro said, and “I think we’ll have a chance with those who would normally go to the Democratic side” as a result. 

While Sen. Obama has expressed a desire to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, Munro said that McCain wants to keep the treaty as it is, if not expand it. 

Munro said that Seattle will undoubtedly go for Obama, but that’s OK.

“Our job is to peal off enough votes combined with enough votes from the rest of the state,” to put Washington into contention, he said.

“The only thing that’s lopsided is that the media base is louder in Seattle,” he said.

Munro added that McCain plans on doing more town-hall-type events related to the environment and free trade, similar to a recent forum in North Bend.

“We don’t do the type of campaign where we try to fill up 50,000 people in a stadium.”