Did the GOP have a Primary in PA? April 24, 2008
Posted by Reginald Johnson in Election '08, Elections, Government, Politics.add a comment
No one ever saw it coming. Actually, it was quite unthinkable. It was the worst you or anyone else living [or dead] could have imagined. Yes, it was that bad!!!
What is it you ask?! I hope you are sitting for this…because it was a nightmare [to some]. Senator John McCain lost Pennsylvania. That’s right, you heard me loud and clear.
Wait! Before you click on that next website, let me give you something to think about. Back in 2000, we were sure that Gore won…no…Bush won…I mean Gore won…geez, I don’t know what I mean; but I think you get the picture. Anything that the media says, it whatever form, can’t ALWAYS be right.
When the Pennsylvania returns were coming in Tuesday night, what we all suspected became clear. The Democrats found themselves in a bad spot. These ‘older’ democratic voters said they would defect to John McCain’s camp if Sen. Barack Obama received the democratic nomination. About 25 percent of the primary voters made this claim, after casting a vote for Hillary (this is presumed).
But all is not lost for those tree-hugging, blue-dog democrats. With that alarming number in, no one noticed that 27 percent of Republican primary voters were saying something too. These registered GOP-ites said Sen. McCain just isn’t doing it for them anymore. So much so, that they were ready to defect from their party’s best bet for 2008.
Some of you might have forgotten; there was a GOP primary in Pennsylvania. Check this out: of the 807, 000 registered GOP members in the state, 220,000 of them cast their vote for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul.
What should have McCain’s people on edge is those who voted for Paul, did so under the ‘antiwar’ rhetoric of Paul. They also might dislike McCain so much that they could be potential defectors to the Democrats in November.
Alert: There are now a million more registered Democrats than Republicans in Pennsylvania.
McCain needs democratic help. The main thing he needs democrats to do is – KEEP FIGHTING. The more they fight, the more divided they are, the closer they are to convention, the better McCain looks. Another thing that could help is if the loser is sore. A democratic sore loser may not rally the troops…at least not around the winner. The obvious thing would be to have the loser support the winner because after all the loser is still a democrat – still someone who wants their party to take the White House.
One of the problems that McCain has is having to campaign with Supreme Leader President George “Dubya” Bush. Bush approval numbers are in the dumps – he doesn’t think there is a recession [only a “slowdown”]; he doesn’t think there is a global warming problem; he is convinced that the United States main purpose is to straighten out the Middle East; and God-knows what else is running around in that head of his. And this guy gets dumped on McCain. McCain has to grin and bear it.
He’s got other problems too. His age, his temper, the physical stresses of the job, the rigors of a campaign [or presidential schedule], and just imagine McCain debating domestic issues with any democrat.
Something I noticed last week. McCain kicked off his “It’s Time for Action Tour.” Some of you might not have known that – those dems and Rev. Wright are stealing all the headlines eh! McCain started his tour in Selma, AL, (remember this because it’s important: Selma is a predominantly black town). Well, McCain was there – in pure maverick form – but guess what…he drew an almost exclusively white audience. This is definitely a sign of things to come, if McCain doesn’t do anything.
Another interesting thing: this so-called tour that kicked off was handled by free labor. If you haven’t guessed it, inmates from a local jail were recruited to set up tables and chairs for a private fund-raiser.
So McCain you got your work cut out for you.
Clinton Wins Big in PA, Does it Matter? April 23, 2008
Posted by Reginald Johnson in Uncategorized.add a comment
New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton made some big strides Tuesday night with her win in the Pennsylvania primary. Obama had a better financed machine, but many believe that Hillary won due to her husband’s presidential record. The population is Pennslayvania is a little older and more tradional than other democratic states.
The former first lady won 55 percent of the vote; 45 percent went to Obama. Political pundits said earlier last week that Clinton needed to win by 10 points or better. She may not have had a chance to overtake Obama in the delegate votes, but she could look at this a momentum getter.
“A win for Hillary in Pennslyvania translates into more money donated to her nearly broke campaign,” said a GOP statagists.
It is believed that Senator Clinton maneuvered her victory by winning the votes of blue-collar workers, women and white men in an election where the economy was the dominant concern. Senator Obama was favoured by blacks, the affluent and voters who recently switched to the Democratic Party. These numbers were comprised by The Associated Press and the TV networks.
She showed her blue collar bona fides one night by knocking down a shot of whiskey, then taking a mug of beer as a chaser. Obama went bowling in his attempt to win over working-class voters.
The win gave Clinton a strong record in the big states as she attempts to persuade convention superdelegates to look past Obama’s delegate advantage and his lead in the popular vote in picking a nominee. She had previously won primaries in Texas, California, Ohio and her home state of New York, while Obama won his home state of Illinois.
Clinton projected confidence to the end of the Pennsylvania campaign, scheduling an election-night rally in Philadelphia. Obama signaled in advance he expected to lose, flying off to Indiana for an evening appearance even before the polls closed.
Flush with cash, Obama reported spending $11.2 million on television in the state, more than any place else. That compared with $4.8 million for Clinton.
The remaining Democratic contests are primaries in North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico, and caucuses in Guam.