The Rev. Reginald Jackson in Orange today: 

ORANGE - Rev. Reginald Jackson, pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Orange and executive director of the Black Ministers’ Council of New Jersey, predicted that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) would turn several states blue that were red in the last presidential election cycle.

"I think what Barack Obama does is he broadens the map for Democrats," said Jackson, who was one of the key members of The Group, the powerful fund-raising arm of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in New Jersey.

Now a self-professed big backer of Obama, Jackson said he believes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee would be competitive in the South and the West.

"He gets you North Carolina and maybe Georgia, he will compete in New Mexico, and he could get you Montana," said Jackson, who today attended the mayoral inauguration of Eldridge Hawkins, Jr, at Orange Middle School.

Jackson said The Group in the coming days plans to sit down with David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager, and the former campaign manager for Sen. Robert Torricelli, to determine what role the outfit would play in the Obama campaign

"We’re going to get Obama elected," said Jackson. "I’ll tell you this right now, I can’t take (Sen. John) McCain."

The reverend said he likes Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del) as a running mate for Obama. "He has international and foreign policy experience that would balance out the ticket," Jackson said.