Most of today's polls have Clinton winning tomorrow in Pennsylvania. We live in Central Pennsylvania. On Saturday, I traveled to the Philadelphia region while my husband traveled west to Washington, Pennsylvania.
Our unscientific anecdotal observations - even when you factor in our Obama bias - give us a very different read of the state than what the front pages and polls are saying.
On Friday, my brother, sister-in-law and kids attended the Obama rally in Philadelphia. Attendance was reported at alternately 35,000 and 40,000. On Saturday, my son and I saw Obama and Casey at the Paoli train station as we traveled east and the campaign traveled west. News reports said around 3000 people attended (with 6000 reported at the earlier stop in Wynnewood, and then "thousands" in Downingtown, and 6000-8000 in Lancaster). It was really hot in Paoli (I wanted to shout out to Bob Casey to put on a hat or grab some sun screen - man he looked pink. . .), but the crowd was full of fired up people of all ages, races and genders. We saw a lot of "Old White Women for Obama" and "Middle Aged White Guys for Obama" (their label, not mine . . .).
In the city, signs in the windows of the South Philadelphia homes were overwhelmingly for Obama. Bumper stickers, again overwhelmingly Obama (10-1 at least). We traveled to the suburbs Sunday (Flourtown) and observed the same - I don't think we saw a Hillary sign in Flourtown.
My husband reports that although he did encounter Hillary supporters on Saturday (unlike my son and I), that the signs in Washington, Pennsylvania are at least 10 to 1 Obama.
Finally, here in the Harrisburg area we've observed the same - I'd say the sign margin is actually even greater than 10 to 1 Obama (and that's with a sign shortage at the Obama offices until about a week ago). And have you seen the spectacular photos from the Harrisburg rally on Saturday??? Again, attendance reports of more than 8000. Whereas the reported attendance at the Hillary events is much lower.
Its also striking to me that the majority of Pennsylvania papers across the state have endorsed Obama (including: Scranton Times Tribune, Wilkes Barre Citizen's Voice, Allentown Morning Call, Bucks County Courier, Phila Inquirer (re-endorsement!!), Philadelphia Daily News, Harrisburg Patriot News, Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Washington Observer Reporter).
We'll see, but while the polls and news reports are showing one thing - the vibe in the ground here seems indicate something else altogether.
My husband the hockey fan has taught me the word you don't say when there are two minutes left and your teaming is winning something to zero. He's superstitious. So am I - so I'm not going to be explicit here. I think you get my drift though . . .