Obama Changes Approach In Pennsylvania

Washington Post: Democrat Tries To Reach Out To Blue-Collar Voters

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Shailagh Murray and Perry Bacon Jr..

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When Sen. Barack Obama's bus rolls to a stop Wednesday in Philadelphia, he will have spent six days on the road and $3 million in television ads trying to bolster his chances in a state where polls show him running well behind Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.).

A health nut, Obama (Ill.) has consumed hot dogs, french fries and homemade chocolates. He has sipped a few Yuengling beers. He has largely skipped arena-filling rallies in favor of town-hall-style events and casual visits, delivering populist appeals to the small-town, working-class voters who have proven most resistant to his candidacy.

Despite a few stumbles -- at an Altoona bowling alley, Obama rolled a ball into a gutter on his first try -- political observers say he has started to make the inroads with voters he will need to cut into Clinton's lead.

"The consensus is, this is a pretty successful tour for Obama," said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. "He's hitting the right themes. I would be surprised if this doesn't move numbers."

Mark Nevins, Clinton's Pennsylvania spokesman, conceded to reporters on the candidate's campaign bus that Obama's aggressive efforts are making a difference.

Clinton is running a state campaign similar to Obama's, mixing small-scale and larger events that focus on pocketbook issues such as middle-class tax cuts and the creation of new manufacturing jobs. Her crowds are also boisterous, filled with shout-outs and standing ovations, along with signs that say "Don't quit."

She has taken to comparing herself to Rocky Balboa, the underdog boxer who does not know how to give in or give up. She walked onto the stage at an event here on Tuesday as the theme music of the film "Rocky" was played, after earlier invoking the fictional prizefighter in a speech.

"I know what it's like to stumble. I know what it means to get knocked down, but I've never stayed down," Clinton told AFL-CIO members in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

This gritty, ground-level strategy carried Clinton to a convincing victory in Ohio, a state with economic challenges and working-class demographics similar to Pennsylvania's. Whatever inroads Obama may be making, Madonna noted, he "still faces the inevitable problem of unfavorable demographics. We have more Catholics, old people, union members and conservative Democrats than Ohio."

Clinton also enjoys the strong support of Gov. Edward G. Rendell, the mayors of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and other prominent Democratic leaders.

If Obama loses badly in Pennsylvania on April 22, the momentum could shift to Clinton going into May 6, when Indiana and North Carolina vote. A poo showing in another general-election swing state would also raise questions among superdelegates -- the party leaders and elected officials who will probably determine the Democratic nominee -- about whether Obama could beat Republican Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in November.

The Obama campaign has tried to lower its bar for success in Pennsylvania and has signaled an intention to trumpet anything short of a blowout victory by Clinton as one of its most significant triumphs of the primary season.

"President Clinton and Senator Clinton, either in terms of campaigning or governing, have been in this state for 15 years," said Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), who endorsed Obama last week and has accompanied him during much of his campaign through the state. "Hillary Clinton chaired health-care hearings in 1993. She has a good base here, but I think we can cut into it."

Casey's endorsement was one of a couple of recent developments that might indicate a shifting landscape. Another was the registration of 102,000 new voters and 133,000 party switchers as Democrats, a possible indication that Obama's efforts to register college students, Republicans and independents may be paying off.

To win in the state, Obama will probably need to run up big totals in and around Philadelphia, in the Lehigh Valley and in south-central Pennsylvania. Casey's support could help among more conservative Democrats, particularly in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre region, where his family is a fabled political brand.

On his tour, Obama has infused his stump speech with references to the economic woes that have beset communities across this state. At town hall meetings in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Obama spoke of "wages and income that have flat-lined. You are paying more for everything from college to health care to a gallon of milk to a gallon of gas. It's hard to make ends meet."

He staged a news conference in the freezing drizzle at a biofuels station, drawing attention to high gas prices and the U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Two of his three TV ads target the special interests' grip on the political process. Again and again, he reminded crowds: "We've got to change how business is done in Washington. I'm a practical guy. I just want to solve problems."

Corey D. O'Brien, a Lackawanna County commissioner and Obama backer, had urged the candidate for a month to visit Wilkes-Barre to introduce himself to voters there. In a lengthy question-and-answer session after his opening remarks, Obama fielded queries about his name, his childhood ambitions, and his position on gun rights. O'Brien looked thrilled.

"As Senator Clinton says, this is Hillary country," he said. "People need to get to know him. But I predict that when they do, he'll do very well."

[lottobee]

When Chris Matthews asked Obama the "national security question" on Hardball''s College Tour last nite ---- Obama did the usual evasive tap dance and did not answer the question. There''s your answer to what he will do at 3 A.M. when that call comes in. I''m not trusting my family''s lives to someone who cannot give a direct answer to a national security question. Of course, if you''re already "FOR Obama" you will tap dance around this and applaud him and think how smart he is. How easily we fool ourselves into believing what we want to believe. The average American voter is all too ready to be taken in by a slick candidate who carefully measures his audience and adjusts his speeches accordingly. Beware the tap dancer.

[lottobee]

133,000 party switchers registered as democrats for the PA primary. Do you really believe that they have all been inspired by Obama? Or is it that they would like the chance to deliver Obama a setback and change the course of this race for the presidency? The 102,000 new voters --- probably 1/3 are college students who know nothing about politics and will fall for the promises of the Chicago hack with the smooth talking style who promises the world until he gets in. Anyone who really believes his line has to be naive --- so you can bet the college kids have fallen for it. So let us see just how savvy the PA voters are. This will be the most watched primary in the country to date.

[tbweb]

Barack Obama is unelectable. Hillary can beat John McCain. Reality check - radical right wingers have taken down decorated war veterans in the past. They will inextricably link Barack Obama to Black Liberation Theology in order to discredit him and to impart fear in many Americans. Barack Obama - 20 years of Black Liberation Theology - Jeremiah Wright - James Cone - Nation of Isalm Minister Louis Farrakhan - Hamas Terror Manifesto - July 22, 2007 Bulletin at Trinity United Church of Christ - Rashid Khalidi - Tony Rezko - William Ayers - Black Liberation Theology - If You Don''''t Believe It - Leave It! Linda Chavez wrote an article, "Afrocentrism Is the Problem" in the 3/19/2008 edition of ''''National Review Online.'''' Learn about Black Liberation Theology at:http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/james
cone

Posted by Hillarygrl34 at 10:05 AM : Apr 03, 2008,,,

The Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke ran as a Republican and was elected to the La. State Senate so anything is possible. It can''t get any worst than that!

[gunownerdan]

Look at all these "news" stories.

Clinton this,
McCain that,
Obama this,
Clinton that,
McCain this,
Obama that,

The best prostitutes certainly get the most media attention!

[pensacola88]

Republicans are shuddering in their boots when they see the numbers of voters coming to the polls for the Democrats. If they all show up again at the General Election in November and vote a Democrat Straight Party Ticket, many Republicans will be leaving their seats in the House and Senate.

For the House of Representative, they are elected every 2 years.

For the Senate, they are elected they 6 years, but stagger their elections every 2 years in three stages. There are three classes. Class I, II & III.
This election cycle is for Class II senators.

[tbweb]

Posted by dante805 at 08:26 AM : Apr 03, 2008,,,

Each candidate has there own trash list of things people have a problem with. I think I''ve seen them all. The most interesting thing about each candidates trash list is that Sen. Obama''s seems to have the least trash, seems to be the lesser evil. The list you created looks bad if its true, but not so bad when compared to the other candidates trash list.

[dante805]

Now he has to act "white" to get some middle class voters. He still loses PA by 10 pts. Hate Pastor Wright and the "baby" comment will doom him, among others. White voters are too smart for him, well most educated white voters that is. You have Obama wanting his kids to get an abortion rather than be "PUNISHED with a baby." This is truly a soulless individual. Anyone voting for this guy has to have a mental disorder given his support for that Hater Pastor Wright, his remark about "Typical White people", his lie about more blacks in prison than in school, and mis-statements on the number of casualties in IRAQ- remember that whopper. He''s not going to stand up to the GOP attacks this fall. Here%u2019s a list of other cannon fodder:


Went with Farrakhan to the Half-million man march

Never attended a White Church (even though he and Michelle preach diversity)

His Wife is finally proud of America (1st statement) then she is really proud (2nd statement)

His wife wrote an essay on black separatists in Princeton

His Hate pastor gave Farrakahn an award and supports Hamas

Obama caught with handwriting on Liberal Survey supporting unfettered Abortion and strict gun control

Obama still hasn%u2019t explained REZCO ties fully

[tbweb]

Obama is 6.25% African,...43.75% Arab and 50% caucasion.
Federal law states that he is not considered African American unless he is 1/8 or 12.5% African,...Even if elected, He will never be the first African American president.

Do you think he lied on his Harvard application?

The only racists that I see are the ones who assumed Obama was African American because of the color of his skin.

Posted by NEVERKOOLAID at 03:27 AM : Apr 03, 2008,,,

All I see is Americans and from my experience only "racist" would even care about statistics like this, especially at this level of detail, so you better look in the mirror. The only reason its even a topic of discussion is because Sen. Obama notes that Whites treat him Black despite knowing his real status! Hard core racist can take comfort in the fact that if Sen. Obama does become President they can just pay attention to his 50% White part and ignore the other percentages you noted. I would never even have considered dividing up Sen. Obama the way you did along the lines of racial percentages, thats actually disgusting and I bet your numbers are bogus on top of it! Sheesh.

[westafer2]

Don%u2019t let fear and hate mongers, talk radio hosts, smooth talking politicians, or anyone else do your thinking for you. We are at a historic moment in America. Barack Obama is a very special candidate for president who can bring about significant changes in Washington and help ordinary Americans begin reclaiming their democracy. Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr. knows this and has recently endorsed Senator Barack Obama, recognizing Obama%u2019s integrity, intelligence, and the strong leadership he can provide as president. It is time for voters in Pennsylvania and in the remaining states that will soon vote in the presidential primary election to stand up and be counted. It%u2019s time for ordinary Americans to begin the process of reclaiming America.

[jedi08]

Who cares if he is the first full black canidate or not. Its not about the color of his skin, and Obama never even brought it up until Bill and Hillary did.

Besides Hillary is not 100 percent a women. She is a frikin fembot machine with no heart and no soul. I wouldn''t even clasifiy her as a human. Humans need a heart and a soul, she lacks both