Gazette.Net: Prince George's benefits from Chief advantages

Since his election, President Barack Obama (D) has had a strong presence in Prince George's County. He has used local sites as the backdrop for national issues: rallies for health care reform at the University of Maryland, College Park; voter turnout at Bowie State University; and economic initiatives at businesses in Bladensburg and Landover. Not to mention, he travels to the county when he uses Air Force One, which flies in and out of Joint Base Andrews in Camp Springs, where he's also been known to hit the links.

Prince George’s officials say the visits — numbering about 10 since 2009 — raise the county’s visibility nationally and provide a boost to the businesses he visits, though others dispute the financial benefits, and costs incurred by the county are closely guarded.

“The president needs to be out there,” said David Abshire, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. “The worst thing is a president that is out of touch when you have an economy that's worse than the year before.”

The county’s popularity among presidents is not new. Former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening (D), who served as Prince George’s County executive from 1982 to 1994, said the county’s diversity and proximity to the White House make it an ideal backdrop for presidential announcements. The president can make a speech in the county and get back to Washington, D.C., without any major travel time, Glendening said.