How does central PA differ from some of the small states that Obama won?

[Cant trust em]

He also won Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota. People have been saying that Obama doesn't understand white working class America, but on the surface it looks like he's won some states that fall into this stereotypical category.

I'm a San Francisco elitist, totally out of touch with the heartland, so I don't really understand the distinctions here.

[featherman]

1. Think Appalachia - traditionally Democratic but in a West Virginia way

[rox63]

4. Culturally. Central PA has more in common with the South than with Philly and Pittsburgh n/t

[godai]

11. Except for few blacks.

Central PA is predominantly old, white, and lower on the income scale. They are mostly Republicans or, if Democrats, they are a major part of Hillary's working class base.

[knixphan]

2. wondering if there's really something to that phrase:

"Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh on one end, Philadelphia on the other, and Alabama in between."

[paulk]

3. difference is that those were all caucuses

while PA was a primary. White working class people don't show up for caucuses.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cali]

8. He won white working class people in primaries too

Wisconsin was a primary. Vermont was a primary. And I believe MN was also a primary. There were others.

[paulk]

15. Those aren't the states the OP is talking about

ps - MN was a caucus also.

[Kittycat]

17. Then you ignore the polling? Because he wins in the polling of those states, as well.

:eyes:

[paulk]

24. are we talking about the GE, here?

I thought the OP was talking about the primary.

-------------


ps - on the subject of GE polling - Dukakis was supposed to win in a landslide, remember? I don't think polling for the GE at this point amounts to much, for either candidate.

[NJmaverick]

5. Hillary grew up in PA, is that different?

[DesertFlower]

10. she was born in chicago. i believe they had

a summer house in pennsylvania. she did not grow up there. she did get the pennsylvania voters to believe that she was a "pennsylvania gal".

[NJmaverick]

13. well that has to be considered when you look at her "victory"

that it was her adopted home state, according to her

[Cant trust em]

14. She seems to have lived in half of the country

[Kittycat]

19. Well - 1/3 really. The other 2/3 are under the bus with the Democratic Base.

[livetohike]

26. She was first lady for 8 years and this is the FIRST time

I ever heard she had a "Pennsylvania connection". Guess she was ashamed of it back in the 90's.

People at my polling place yesterday were talking about the same thing (I was working at the polls, so I heard a lot :-). )

[bevoette]

7. hey! i just asked almost identical question in another thread...

to wit:

what, exactly, would people say the difference is between:

rural, white, uneducated, working-class voters that vote for Clinton in blue states

and

rural, white, uneducated, working-class voters that vote for (insert republican here) in red states?



what issues separate these voters?

[FrenchieCat]

12. When you've lived under Republican rule, as many have in these Red States,

You tend to not buy Republican bullshit, even when it is a Clinton Democrat selling it?

[BlooInBloo]

9. It's the oldest, whitest, most populous, and racist.

[RBInMaine]

18. Careful about the "racist" label please.

[Kittycat]

20. That's what Rendell tried to say, and he's the Gov - I think he knows his state.

[BlooInBloo]

22. I am. I lived there, and 1/2 my family is from there.

[RBInMaine]

16. He actually did well in some the central counties. Age and Hillary BRAND big factors there.

[Marie26]

21. It's not a caucus. nt

[ieoeja]

23. Retail Politics versus the Default Candidate

When Obama gets out to those small towns, he erases Hillary's name recognition. In these bigger states Obama seems to concentrate his efforts instead on getting out the vote in the large population centers. In states where they don't have large population centers, he has to resort to retail politics which works just great for him.

This is the one mistake I see his campaign making in the big states. And I worry it may be a big one.

[Avalux]

25. I think there was some hanky panky there too.

I grew up in central PA and will admit there is a bigot factor. But with Republicans registering as Dems and voting for Hillary to sway the vote AND the touch screen machines (which I do not trust), who knows what happened. Hillary had every single mayor, the governor and a lot of top officials in her corner - essentially the machinery of the state government. They could have very easily padded her vote.

I was shocked to see my home county went 74% to Hillary. UGH.

[anonymous171]

27. Age and gender.