Flashback: McCain makes major push into Pennsylvania

[reformist2]

McCain makes major push into Pennsylvania

Published: Friday, October 31, 2008, 12:05 AM

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....Recent history and a 1.2 million Democratic registration edge would seem to make Pennsylvania safe for Sen. Barack Obama. Nevertheless, the McCain campaign has singled it out for an all-out effort involving money, imported manpower from New York and New Jersey, and at least 18 visits by McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin since the GOP National Convention.

He has no choice, according to G. Terry Madonna, director of Franklin and Marshall College Center for Politics and Public Affairs. With polls showing him trailing in nine smaller states won by Bush in 2004 and almost sure to lose three of them, McCain needs Pennsylvania's 21 Electoral College votes to offset such losses, Madonna said.

Madonna gives McCain only "an outside chance" of winning here. Even that is generous judged by Madonna's own polls, which have Obama ahead by 13 points (52-39) among registered voters and by 12 among likely voters. Other polls report similar findings.

But a midweek Mason-Dixon poll gave Obama only a 4 point lead here, lending weight to GOP claims that the race is closing and could rest on late-deciding voters. Dent, citing his own election experience, said undecideds tend to vote for the trailing candidate and are McCain's best hope for an upset....

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http://blog.nj.com/njv_john_farmer/2008/10/mccain_makes_major_push_into_p.html