Will Obama improve in Western Pennsylvania?

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Back in 2008, John McCain desperately campaigned in Western Pennsylvania in a last ditch effort to carry the state as a whole.  To his credit he flipped a few of counties here which previously voted for both Al Gore and John Kerry, in part to his attacks which labeled Obama as another Harvard elitest who was horribly out of touch with the middle class.  This implied something sinister for Democrats on the state and national level; they were losing touch with their roots which had backed them during their darkest hours, and whose voices had once represented the norm for progressive laborers.

But what if that could change?  Considering that the Republican field consists of a multimillionaire and a man who was practically kicked out of the state during his last run, will Obama stand any chance to gain in this region?  Can Democrats really win here again, or is it all in the past?



Discuss like adults, please.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Back in 2008, John McCain desperately campaigned in Western Pennsylvania in a last ditch effort to carry the state as a whole.  To his credit he flipped a few of counties here which previously voted for both Al Gore and Gore, in part to his attacks which labeled Obama as another Harvard elitest who was horribly out of touch with the middle class.  This implied something sinister for Democrats on the state and national level; they were losing touch with their roots which had backed them during their darkest hours, and whose voices had once represented the norm for progressive laborers.

But what if that could change?  Considering that the Republican field consists of a multimillionaire and a man who was practically kicked out of the state during his last run, will Obama stand any chance to gain in this region?  Can Democrats really win here again, or is it all in the past?



Discuss like adults, please.

Gore and Kerry, I assume.

Re: the question, I agree that Obama could definitely improve, at least if he's facing Romney. Santorum might avert that.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Back in 2008, John McCain desperately campaigned in Western Pennsylvania in a last ditch effort to carry the state as a whole.  To his credit he flipped a few of counties here which previously voted for both Al Gore and Gore, in part to his attacks which labeled Obama as another Harvard elitest who was horribly out of touch with the middle class.  This implied something sinister for Democrats on the state and national level; they were losing touch with their roots which had backed them during their darkest hours, and whose voices had once represented the norm for progressive laborers.

But what if that could change?  Considering that the Republican field consists of a multimillionaire and a man who was practically kicked out of the state during his last run, will Obama stand any chance to gain in this region?  Can Democrats really win here again, or is it all in the past?



Discuss like adults, please.

Gore and Kerry, I assume.

Re: the question, I agree that Obama could definitely improve, at least if he's facing Romney. Santorum might avert that.

Whoops, thanks. 

[AndrewTX]

John Murtha also helped McCain in Western PA.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Given who Romney sure as hell doesn't appeal to, probably a little bit.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

John Murtha also helped McCain in Western PA.

Uh what? He was quite popular.

[Kevin]

But the flip side to a Romney ticket in PA is that he could quite likely improve alot on what Bush and McCain got in the Southeastern/Eastern part of the state. Sine he seems like the type of Republican who could carry favor amongst middle and upper middle class Philly suburbanites. Not to mention Obama's problems with working class voters haven't gone away ether. 

[dg87]

Gore and Kerry, I assume.

Re: the question, I agree that Obama could definitely improve, at least if he's facing Romney. Santorum might avert that.

I think people tend to underestimate the problems Santorum would get in a generel election with his harsh stances on reproduction rights and religion. I think many (educated) middle class families will have problems with that. Also I miss a clear economic profile from him up to this point.

[RI]

Only if Romney is the nominee.

[AndrewTX]

John Murtha also helped McCain in Western PA.

Uh what? He was quite popular.

Don't you remember when a lot of people got super angry when he called his own constituents racists and rednecks. A lot of undecided independents strayed after that one.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

Likely, no matter who the nominee is. Even if it's Santorum, the fact that's he's from PA won't help much.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

Against Romney he'll probably approve. Romney's struggle with those voters makes Obama's issues seem paltry in comparison. Santorum will probably result in Obama performing the same, if not worse, in the region.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Both Romney and Santorum would perform badly in Western PA, but for different reasons.  I don't see Pennsylvania going Republican this November at all.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I don't expect working class cities in the Great Lakes to be fertile grounds for the Romney campaign.

[Dr. Cynic]

Likely, no matter who the nominee is. Even if it's Santorum, the fact that's he's from PA won't help much.

Rick Santorum could never win Western PA when he was a Senator. He lost it to Wofford, he lost it to Klink (who was also from Western PA) and he lost it to Casey.

He has no homefield advantage here and once people heard he had left the Pittsburgh area to live in Virginia, we washed our hands of him.

[J. J.]

Back in 2008, John McCain desperately campaigned in Western Pennsylvania in a last ditch effort to carry the state as a whole.  To his credit he flipped a few of counties here which previously voted for both Al Gore and John Kerry, in part to his attacks which labeled Obama as another Harvard elitest who was horribly out of touch with the middle class.  

While there are arguably middle class (along with flat out rich people) in Western PA, I'd argue that it is basically working class in terms of ideology.  The Democrats that do well are the Altmires, the Murthas, the Caseys, and the Baileys.  They are Reagan Democrats ideologically, if not economically.

Obama is still not seen as "one of us" there, which Clinton and GWB were.  That is a problem for him, and probably a plus for Santorum and Gingrich.

It is the same minus for Romney, but that issue will be economics.  If his economic plans can match the areas, he could expand the vote in Western PA.