No offense -- But what makes Pennsylvania so damn special?

[Armstead]

Sure it's a big state and it's important to win.

But this handful of states that have been declared to be "special" like Ohio perplex me. What makes voters there so different from Wisconsin or Illinois?

P.S. I was born in Scranton so I do have a personal soft spot for the state. But still....

[blogslut]

1. A long campaign and timing

Had the nominee been chosen right after super Tuesday, a lot of states wouldn't matter.

[JVS]

2. To Hillary each state that she hasn't lost or lost yet is special.

Wisconsin was special once too.

[Bigleaf]

3. It's the latest state to host Hillarys goalposts and they will be moved again to the next special

state.

[SKKY]

4. Nothing. Unless HRC wins it. Then it become the most freakin' important...

...thing since night baseball at Wrigley Field.

[HereSince1628]

5. Well, for one thing, in WI we eat cheese without the steak,

besides, we've shot our volley in the primary war.

[SoCalDem]

6. In a "normal" primary season it would not have been all that important

but since Ms Stalker '08 refused to quit when it was apparent she could not win, EVERY primary since Wisconsin has been "do or die".."biggest,most important"..

It's our stooooopid 24-7 media that had turned this into a nightmarish freak-show, instead of what it should be.. a progression of states voting for their choice of candidate.

They have to "feed the beast", and seize on every single comment that candidates make, and then embellish and "outrage" their viewers, by alternately demonizing each candidate.

They have turned this whole process into way more than it ever used to be..

If it all ended early, they would lose viewers..They HAVE to keep the "show" going..

and since there is mass-consolidation of all media these days, they just cross-pollinate their venom everywhere..

[Armstead]

7. Good answer

The media need a soap opera, and Hillary is supplying them with a Drama Queen.

(I hope that doesn't sound sexist. Males can be drama queens too.)

[Texas Hill Country]

14. agreed.

[izzybeans]

8. TV ratings

The pundits need to keep this going more than the candidates do.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. The exact same thing that made Texas so important this year

Hillery is losing and needs a large infusion of delegates. Thus any state that could possibly provide that infusion becomes the current specialty of the day.

[Yael]

10. The calendar

Oh, and it is the 4th largest in pledged delegates.

Other than that, nothing.

[JimGinPA]

11. Two Things - Six Weeks Between Primaries...

And I live here.

B-)

[Champion Jack]

12. Yuengling beer?

Oldest brewery in the U.S.

[crankychatter]

21. like Champion Jack Dupree?

I ain't lying... got him on the box THIS MINUTE

my favorite junker (well almost)

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. Because Pennsylvania is the designated battleground for the next election.

Just as Florida was in 2000, and Ohio was in 04.

I guarantee it, while all the people are focusing on making sure the vote is legit in Florida and Ohio this time, Pennsylvania will be beset with problematic voting machines, unverifiable vote compilers, voting list problems (stemming from all those who supposedly crossed over from one party to vote in the other party's primary - thus creating potential problems with both partys' registration lists) etc., etc.

If the republicans succeed in stealing this election, it will be because of problems in Pennsylvania. That's why there is so much focus on it now - those behind it are already orchestrating the upset. "It was all those Clinton supporters who switched rather than vote for Obama." "It was the religious community rising up in objection to Obama's pastor." "It was the fault of the Clinton campaign that dampened Democratic turn out." "It was the fault of the Obama campaign that dampened Democratic turnout."

When the election hinges on the Pennsylvania electoral votes, the excuses are already in place for how a blue state went red.

[grantcart]

15. just the next firewall

remember Wisconsin?

Texas

then it will shift to NC and Indiana

[Lone_Star_Dem]

17. I bet ya NC will be as overlooked as possible.

My reasons are:

1) It doesn't have the sensational possibility of a Hillery win that the media needs to keep this interesting to the masses.

2) Hillery's camp will do all they can to tone down their impending loss in NC.

[knixphan]

22. I think so too.

[snooper2]

16. Because it's Hillary Inc.'s

14th goal post

[JBoy]

19. They've been spectacularly successful at moving goalposts and setting the bar

They've got the media to ignore states that "don't count". The media is all geared up to describe a one-vote win by Hillary in PA as evidence of her momentum.

[NashVegas]

18. Two Major Population Centers

PA is the last state with a sizable enough population that could retilt the balance of delegates. It also happens to be Northeast enough that it's relatively liberal, yet is part of the rust belt enough that its Dems are very centrist.

If BO can't do well here, and he becomes the nominee, he's going to have a very, very difficult time winning the presidency.

[crankychatter]

20. It's not PA anymore.. it's "meet me in Indiana" have you noticed?

Ed Rendell made the shift the other day and the corporate talking heads started repeating it...

it's way too predictable

If we had time to campaign for Obama starting now... focussed solely on the General Election

He would win by the biggest landslide in US History

[ileus]

23. Rust belt with a huge population....

[BlueStateGirl]

24. Cheesesteaks, Yeungling Lager, Scrapple, the Liberty Bell, What makes

Iowa and New Hampshire so special,that they to get to vote first?

I am thrilled to finally be able to vote in a primary that actually counts for something.

[Armstead]

25. I'm from Massachusetts

We've got a lot of special stuff here....But the politicians always take us for granted. It's not easy being predictably blue. :)