Going for Barack in the Northeast?

How tough is it for Democrats to sell Barack Obama in Northeast Philadelphia? Here's one measure: One of their own ward leaders isn't convinced yet.

Lorraine Bednarek, Democratic leader of the 64th Ward, in Northeast Philadelphia, may not vote for her party's candidate.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Bednarek said in a phone interview when asked if she would vote for Obama. "I've always voted Democrat. That's why this election is very difficult for me."

Ward leaders have far less influence on presidential elections than they do on local races, but Bednarek's disaffection may be symptomatic of the challenge the ticket faces in the Northeast.

Bednarek said that she feels resistance to Obama from ward committee members and Democratic voters, and doesn't think it's about his race or background.

"I think he's relatively unknown, and it's hard for people to identify with him," Bednarek said. "I guess everyone's trying to find more about him and the issues. He's promising a lot of things and he's not saying who's going to end up paying for them."

Bednarek was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the Democratic convention, and Clinton overwhelmingly won her ward in the April primary.

"I supported Hillary because she had specific ideas and plans, and they were all on her Web site," Bednarek said. "Obama tends to be more abstract."

Asked if she'd visited Obama's Web site, Bednarek said, "Not really, not lately."

Bednarek said that, like her voters, she'll watch the debates and follow the campaign before making a decision.