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Who backed the right horse?
So as the campaign buses ride off into the sunset, what is the local damage?
Here is the Daily News take on primary winners and losers:
WINNERS
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey - Typically cautious Casey came off the bench to support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama at a critical moment, which showed cojones. And he showed some firepower in a televised face-off with forceful Gov. Rendell, acting as a surrogate for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Chris Matthews - With the race in his hometown, Philly boy Matthews has spent hours on his MSNBC show touting his local cred, and calling shout-outs to Rendell. He's also managed to fuel rumors - check out the recent New York Times magazine story - about plans to run for the U.S. Senate against Arlen Specter in 2010.
Pennsylvania TV stations - They raked in more than $11 million for political ads from the Clinton and Obama campaigns, and another $428,000 from the American Leadership Project, a separate group of Clinton supporters.
Ben Franklin - Sure he's a long dead founding father, but did you catch him last week as Stephen Colbert's sidekick? That toaster bit was hilarious!
LOSERS
Geno's Steaks - Although the discrimination case against owner Joey Vento for his "please speak English" sign was dismissed, the legendary steak joint finished the season as the wrong place for pols to dine. When Obama came to South Philly on election day, he ate at Pat's.
Anne Dicker - Dicker endangered her reformist cred by ganging up with John Dougherty on Larry Farnese late in the race for the Democratic nomination in the First Senatorial District. Dicker first let slip that she took advice from a Dougherty consultant about staying in the race when her campaign and Farnese's were discussing whether one of them should drop out. Then she circulated an e-mail attacking Farnese that Dougherty's camp picked up and re-circulated.
Urban issues - While the Democrats debated in Philadelphia last October, four people - including a police officer - were shot in Center City. Yet despite the obvious problems on Philly streets, the candidates have spent little time discussing urban problems. A plea from Mayor Nutter for an urban forum fell on deaf ears.
Ward leaders - Win, lose or draw - tradition demands that Philadelphia's Democratic ward leaders get paid. But U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama chose not to play that game and said they would not be distributing "street money," which is used to pay Democratic committee members and others to circulate campaign literature and help get out the vote. This shocking rejection of old-school machinery prompted news stories in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian of London, and on National Public Radio. *
