Romney in PA -- Or No?
Is the Romney campaign competing in PA or not? It seems Ohio is more important, but GOPers say the Keystone State remains in play.
Romney in PA -- Or No?
John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist
Conflicting press releases from Democrats and Republicans (a real rarity there, eh?) suggest that Mitt Romney's campaign is either folding in Pennsylvania or getting ready to double-down.
Tuesday morning, the state GOP issued a statement, "Romney Seizes Momentum in PA," that cites new polling numbers showing President Obama with a slim 3-point lead and points to a National Journal piece asking if Pennsylvania is "the newest battleground state."
Within an hour of that statement, Pennsylvania Democrats issued a statement, "Romney closing shop in PA," that cites reports that some of the Republican contender's forces are being moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio.
Meanwhile, veteran political journalist Jim O'Toole of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that two new polls show Romney close to Obama here but notes that neither campaign is currently airing ads in Pennsylvania (what you're seeing are national ads) while Ohio markets such as Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati were among the campaigns' top 15 ad-buy areas for the month of September.
The Wesbite realclearpolitics.com still has Pennsylvania "leaning Obama" while Ohio is listed as a toss-up state.
But if the post-debate polling swings here, in other states and nationally teach us anything it is that the race is more volatile that many believed, which suggests there's still time for movement on both sides.
Pennsylvania, structurally, remains a tough get for Romney; and the state's history of going blue in every presidential election since 1988 might well be repeated.
But the tightening of the contest here following Mitt's mauling of Obama in the first debate is clear evidence of how fast a fall can happen anywhere -- whether one candidate is really in any state or not.
He doesn't have to come here to get my vote.— jasjfarrell- Rommney is a flip flopping machine voters wont fall for it. He will say anything for a vote.— kevinhjr
- I am a republican that does not like Romney as a person. He comes across as an arrogant jerk. That said, I will ABSOLUTELY vote for him. Dems will just criticize him as a person then when you ask why they won't vote for him, they think he is a liar. bo is a great speaker, but hasn't done anything in office that he said would get done, nor is it going anywhere. People say republican party is for the rich and romney is a cheater for putting money elsewhere.....Sign me up, I am all for business promotion and getting some money so I don't live paycheck to paycheck. The reason there are less urban voters are because their situation has gotten even worse under bo.— kozykoz26
- he is going to end social security and medicare, you fool. wake up. this is the most important election of our lifetime.
- The real response is not Romney yes or no, but the answer is No-OBummer, we all have had enough of his socialist Saul Alinsky agenda.— Speak-truth-2-power
- do republicans think mitt's strategy of continuous lying is a good strategy to win the white house?
- Ohioans say obama's gonna win ohio. pennsylvania is going for obama- philadelphia and pittsburgh, people. new hampshire's going for obama. congratulations mr. president on your reelection.
John is the author of the book "On The Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-Five Years of Keystone Reporting" (The History Press, 2012). Reach John at baerj@phillynews.com.
