FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla._President Barack Obama's campaign swing to South Florida, scheduled for Wednesday, is off because of the approach of Hurricane Matthew.
Obama had been scheduled to appear on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The Clinton campaign announced the postponement about an hour after South Florida was put under hurricane and tropical storm watches.
A presidential visit would divert a lot of law enforcement from storm preparations and would also cause intermittent road closings for the presidential motorcade.
All of that is now avoided.
Obama was to hold a late-afternoon rally at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, the only historically black college or university in South Florida. The Florida Memorial event was aimed at helping Clinton energize black voters, a key constituency for Democrats.
Clinton turned to Obama to help recreate the coalition of voters that helped him narrowly win Florida in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.
Later Wednesday, he was scheduled to appear at the Miami Beach home of lobbyist Alex Heckler.
