UPDATE 1: Six-Day bus tour will start off in western Pennsylvania and conclude in the southeast.
A lot of you have been concerned that since the March 11 Missisippi Primary Senator Obama has spent only three days in Pennsylvania where the big primary is coming up April 22.
And the fact that he's relaxing in the Virgin Islands for a few days sent some into a panic. Rest assured the play for Pennsylvania is on. It started last Friday with three new ads aimed at PA voters. And now today we get this:
The Obama campaign today announced a tour through Pennsylvania from Friday through Wednesday. This might allay some doubts/concerns from activists on the ground about Obama's commitment to campaigning in the state. Obama has spent only three days in the state since the Mississippi primary on March 11, holding small-scale events that offer limited exposure.
http://www.politico.com/...
That tour by the way will be a bus tour with lots of retail politicking. We all know that PA could be the knock out punch if Obama pulls an upset victory. But the odds are stacked against him. Particularly as one learns more about the political culture of PA and their penchant for the familiar:
http://www.politico.com/...
If there were a manual to winning statewide elections in Pennsylvania, it would include at least two observations:
First, dynasty is not a dirty word.
And second, expect to run at least one or two times before voters reward you. They like their politicians to feel as familiar as their morning cup of coffee.
In the presidential primary campaign, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton — the political equivalent of Maxwell House after years of appearing with her husband in the state — is benefiting not just from the demographics of Pennsylvania, but from its unique amber-preserved culture.
Given those bleak cultural norms in PA, maybe an equal emphasis on May 6 North Carolina and Indiana would be smarter. Because a double victory on May 6 by Obama would be his other chance to knock her out of the race--and is more doable than PA. What do you think? Go all out in PA and May 6 be damned or play it cool and try to play in all three states equally? The Catch 22 is that if we go all out and lose that will also give her the narrative for May 6 even though we don't really expect to win in PA.