Real bad news for Bush in Pennsylvania

Bush lost Pennsylvania in 2000 by only four percentage points, and he has visited 26 times since. No surprise there; if Bush wins the state this year, Kerry probably would be doomed on the national map. But to win the state, Bush must capture the suburban counties ringing Philadelphia - counties heavily populated by moderate Republicans who favored his father and Ronald Reagan during the 1980s but leaned Democratic during the Clinton-Gore era.

That could be a problem, because, as the focus-group voters made clear, the war in Iraq threatens to become Bush's albatross.

Jeanne Oberti, an office assistant who lives in Springfield, Delaware County, leans Republican and likes Bush's "character," but the war is looming as the pivotal factor that could drive her toward Kerry. She denounced "the incomplete and faulty information" that led to the war: "I expect my president to be thorough, and know what his people are doing, and getting the correct information."

The war has become personal for her. "One of my best friend's nephews was blown up in a tank," she said, and she knows somebody else who has been overseas for 18 months. "This has touched me, families that I know and love. And if we keep sending our money there, we won't have the money for education or anything else we need. This is huge for me."

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http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/8433297.htm?1c

"Schriver, who's steamed at Bush over Iraq, sees Kerry as "an egghead." And even Massie Pacchione, a retiree from Wyndmoor who calls himself "anti-Bush," said Kerry did not quicken his pulse. As he put it: "He's awkward, just kind of gangly, a long head. He doesn't have the grace of John F. Kennedy."

Who cares what a guy looks like or if he is graceful! If you like his ideas or hate is opponent, that's good enough! Only beautiful people can be Prez now? God, that's insane.

How many other candidates or presidents could play hockey, ski, parasail and all the other things he does at 60 years of age. He's incredibly fit, and atheletes are almost always graceful out of necessity. Yes, Wes Clark is also very fit. He's going to be a great Sec. of State and Kerry is beginning to look very presidential to me. These people are out to lunch.

americans idolize popular, pretty people. wanting to be part of the "in" crowd carries much too far into adulthood, obviously. it is unbelievable that people are so willing to put their shallowness on display.

That was right here on DU.

Superficiality isn't the exclusive province of the reich wing.

If we don't want to be the recipients of it, then we can't participate in it, either.

Kanary

He's about to come out with a bunch of commercials I hear.

Seems as though there are still too many people who would rather elect a proven failure, just as long as he's not an "egghead".

Small wonder our country is so disfunctional. Maybe it's a miracle we've lasted this long, if this is what passes for political decision making.

and then what's an EggheadPresident to do when terror threats are on the rise?

need for more education $...they truly do not understand their party.

good one, veggie

And a belated welcome to DU.

who are we talking about here? Oh, that's right, can't be *, he ALWAYS comes across as arrogant. Somebody tell that lady that Kerry didn't vote for the 87mil because * wouldn't tell anyone where the money was going.

what good news for him would look like. If after all their doubt and reticence and lost lives of those near and dear to them they still think bush* is "dangerously close to being an ideologue", I'd say that bush* is sitting pretty good in this area you claim is crucial for him.

I didn't need to see this kind of "bad" news.

No offense to you demdem.

"we don't know where he stands" shit----Kerry has been so crystal clear that you would have to be a fucking moron not to know......OH, I forgot Amureka is the land of fucking morons galore!! What these assholes are really saying is "I'm such a dumb bastard that I wouldn't raise my pretty paw to switch on a Kerry speech or pick up a newspaper and read".....it's Kerry's fault that I'm such a goddamn ignorant zero. This is what we still have to face and will face. Every one of those fat bastards WILL end up voting for Bush..guaranteed. And every last one of them will recite with their pudgey little fingers punctuating the air that Kerry "waffles" and "don't know where he stands" as they enter the voting booth in Novemember. Fine...let them eat cake and rot.

All talk about issues, polls, or anecdotal crap about average voters is meaningless when planning for 2004 in PA.

Review the history.
In 2000, Gore won the state 51% to 47%, by a hard margin of just over 200,000 votes. (Nader got 102,453.)

However, Gore carried the city of Philly by 80% to 18%. His vote total was 441,834 vs. 99,234 for Bush. Do the math.

In 2000, John Street and the NAACP put together one of the most brilliant voter turnout operations in electoral history. Polls were jammed, and certain precincts achieved voter turnout of over 110%. This provided the margin of victory for Gore. It's wasn't about about "mainstream" voters, it wasn't about unions, it wasn't about middle class, jobs, guns, whatever. It was all about inner city urban voters and machine politics.

The Republicans will remember this and will move to counter it. Can it be done again?

but Philly Democrats cheat. It's been like that for a long time. They get more voters than there are voters, dead people vote, people who aren't registered vote, and so on. Chicago Democrats do it too. These two cities are infamous for it.

yes, we all know Bush cheated in Florida so it balances out to a certain degree.

It would be nice if we could win this thing honestly. Getting new people to vote is the key to victory.

peace
Indy

Since these forums seem to be overly paranoid to prevent trolls and the Admin forum is locked for newbies (who's the genius who decided that?), I CANNOT POST a new message because I'm new here. I guess you have to make a certain number of replies first before you get exalted to POSTING STATUS.

My question: how many replies in how many forums and how many words.

Sorry for the diversion from your topic.

BTW, Pennsylvania is critical to winning, so the Kerry folks had better start figuring this thing out soon.

Bob Carroll, Las Vegas

it isn't always paranoia, sometimes they really -are- out to get you.
We see them by the zillion. Just chill a bit and welcome to DU.
:toast:

That'll be a good substitute for competence.

Not too many Pennsylvanians like Ridge who Kissed *'s a** to get the job of head of HLS. There has been a LOT of jobs loss in PA and the surrounding states like WVa and Ohio.

I don't expect * to win that state no matter how many times he visits!

You're right about some parts of Plili supporting *, but not all, and don't forget aobut Western Pa (Pittsburgh).

I lived there for 42 years and still have quite a few relatives there. Yes, some of them voted for * in 2000 because they were very upset with Clinton's escapades, but they are sorry now!

You'll see, the state will be DEM all the way.

small world!

and when i went home at christmas, even my dad's traditional republican neighbors weren't speaking well of bush. he can not win pa without those types.