Day Twenty-eight, April 22

So today was the big day, and Obama came in second. No surprises there, as even the man himself wasn't predicting a win in the Keystone State as recently as this Sunday. But this loss shouldn't even be that disappointing to Obama's supporters, or at least, if you were following the news. It might sound like sore loser talk, but the truth is that Barack's campaign had acknowledged that they were fighting a war of attrition every step of the way, trying to get Clinton's margin of victory slimmed down, if not stumped. And there's something to be said for winning a battle of the margins, especially when forecasts in March put Hillary as far as 25 points ahead of Obama. We only lost it by ten measely points, folks. She netted a whopping 16 delegates over Obama, who still leads by 138 delegates overall. Onwards and upwards, I say, pack the wagons for Indiana.

So instead of posting one of the countless articles accounting for Hillary's victory in Pennsylvania today, or any one that might recount the same polling statistics I so readily rattled off in my introductory paragraph, I thought I'd go with something more worthwhile. Today I dug up this article in the Associated Press, 'Party switchers lean toward Obama, exit polls show'. The headline's enough to raise a few eyebrows on its own, but the meat of the article packs some real surprises. For instance, it's interesting to know that almost a tenth of those who voted in today's primary were recently registered Democrats, about half of them former Republicans. But it's downright startling to find out that one fifth of Obama's supporters are among their ranks! So much for the 'voter switcheroo' to bring down Hillary idea, eh?

Another suprising statistic is that Clinton managed to split the 'under 30' vote, a constituency that has heavily favored Obama in previous contests. Perhaps the most unexpected--as well reassuring--number to come out of the pollshowever, is that rural voters preferred Clinton in roughly equal numbers to urban dwellers. We can then infer that, although the damage has been done by 'bittergate' (I hate using that word), that the effect of that one statement has subsided, at least in Pennsylvania, the state where it probably could have hurt him the most. On a day where it seems like only one set of numbers matter, it's the digits behind the headline that could make the biggest difference for Obama's campaign in the long-run.

Day Twenty-seven, April 21

Earlier this afternoon, while examining the results of my daily Google search for 'Barack Obama news', I couldn't help but feel a little disheartened by most of the headlines that filled my screen. "Insults hit new low as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama face showdown," The New York Times. "Obama and Clinton, wrestling in the raw," The Washington Post. I sighed out loud. Was this really the most exciting headlines today, on the eve of one of the most decisive elections this year?

More than any other primary or caucus in this race so far, the Pennsylvania election is one that has short-circuited some of optimism and 'new politics' that make Barack such a unique, inspiring candidate. Knowing that today's post would probably not be found in this pile of disheartening news articles, I turned to Youtube in search of some brighter fare. And after looking at a couple cheeky videos (not one cheekier than the musical tribute from yesterday's post, however), I happened upon this gem: Barack's speech in Philadelphia. Taped last Saturday, in front of an audience of 35,000 supporters, this video is a diamond in the rough, as it's been an admittedly rough six weeks in Pennsylvania for both Democratic candidates. But unlike the recent swipes at Hillary's electability or retaliatory TV ads, this speech is an immediate reminder about what makes Obama so damn hopeful in the first place. He speaks his mind on his flag bearing issues (education, economic reform, troop withdrawal), but more movingly, he talks about just how crucial this year's election will be in the history of America. The little time he does spend talking about Hillary and McCain, he actually pays some respects to both his competitors, something he's shown less and less in recent weeks of the campaign. That's the Obama we love, and here's something for his supporters to hold on to!

When watching the video, it's hard not to be reminded what's at stake in this election, and more importantly, what hopes so many Americans have staked in Obama. The speech is humble but powerful, and goes out on an uplifting note. In a word, it's inspiring. While I'm sure I haven't been the only person that's been disappointed in the recent downturn of Barack's campaign tactics, I also refuse to buy into the media's suggestion that he's already cashing in his chips as the 'good guy' candidate. If we must keep our faith in the power of progress, the following is all the proof you need:



Pennsylvania, don't let us down.

Day Twenty-two, April 16

Today another pop star has decided to endorse Barack, but this time, he's a real-life hero, not an intergalactic one (see Day Sixteen). The Boss himself--Bruce Springsteen to the culturally uninitiated--has officially put his support behind the Illinois Senator, the Guardian reported today. "Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest," Springsteen said. This move couldn't have come at a better time, as Obama's opponents are still putting him on the ropes for his remarks that offended some Americans in areas most affected by industrial drought in the U.S. Springsteen's songs carry an especially heavy weight in states like Pennsylvania, where the predominantly-working class population will host its primary next Tuesday.

Thanks, Boss.

Days Nineteen and Twenty, April 14

The Hope Train is starting to take a turn for the ugly, folks. Admittedly, the way that Barack has gradually let his guard down and compensated with attacks at McCain and Clinton is a little disheartening. Isn't the candidate that is supposed to change all this mudslinging for good? Even if he's started to give a few good jabs to his opponents lately, at least he's making them worthwhile, like in this interview with CBS' Maria Gavrilovic. Besides stating that he feels the relentless assault from Hillary is "toughening me up", Obama further commended Senator Clinton on her tenacious campaigning, saying that she "has been a formidable candidate. You know there aren’t very many figures in American politics that can sustain 11 straight losses and hang in a race, and raise $35 million dollars and in that sense she’s unique.” Oh, dear. Is this what the media refers to as a 'dick move'? Because it's a dick move with integrity.

For the day's second contribution (sorry about the doubling-up again, sometimes life gets in the way of blogging), I'm posting this video, from Barack's youtube page. Doug is a man from Belleftone, PA, population 7,000, and he explains a little bit about his town and why he's voting for Obama. Awesome picture of his son, too. The reason I find this video hopeful (if a little depressing at the same time) is because I think that the media has successfully turned the state of Pennsylvania on its head, depicting it, as James Carville once called the state, "Pittsburgh to the west, Philadelphia to the East, and Alabama in the middle." This is an unfortunate misrepresentation of the state, to think that anyone who a.) attends church or b.) owns guns is automatically turning their back on Obama because of what he said. Barack is trying to make it up to American voters over the damaging comments he made last week, but it's affirming to see small-town Pennsylvania man who isn't going to be swayed by a single comment. This video was posted today:

Day Seventeen, April 11

Something short and sweet for tonight's post. It's been a while since I've done a video of Barack giving a speech, so here's one that might stir up some controversy between now and the Pennsylvania primary. This video, captured in Terra Haute, IN, is a response to recent criticism that McCain and Clinton have targeted at Barack for some comments he made regarding issues effecting voters in Pennsylvania. Some have taken issue with these statements, saying it shows Obama as being 'elitist' or 'out of touch' with struggles of the middle class in states experiencing industry fall-out (like Pennsylvania and Indiana). In the following video, Barack expands on his statement, but also defends it, by clarifying how he spoke from the heart, and also from a realistic, sympathetic point of view, representing the voters in Pennsylvania. I admire the bravery Obama showed here by sticking by his statement, standing up for the same classes he's supposedly condescending, and still fighting back against attacks from his rivals. Here's the video:

Day Fourteen, April 8

Right now, anyone who has their eyes on Obama is keeping at least one eye out for what will be happening in the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. Two weeks from today, one of the largest remaining political contests the Democratic party has yet to wage will play its part in determining which Senator is going to be on the ballot in November. A month ago, the situation was looking rather grim for Obama in the aptly-named Keystone State, but as countless publications are reporting today, the Illinois Senator has done much to turn his own ship around.

In order to kick off today's post I chose this article, posted today on Forbes.com. Starting out by reminding us just how far ahead Senator Clinton was a month ago (17 points in a poll back in March!), blogger Paul M. Murdock demonstrates just how hard Obama has worked to gain a fighting chance in Pennsylvania. With latest polls showing Hillary ahead by a mere 6 percentage points, Obama is on the tail of the margin-of-error victory that could give him the majority of delegates up for grabs. Considering that he's been outspending his rival's campaign by a count of three-to-one, perhaps this updraft of undecided voters is less surprising after all.

The most inspiring thing about this charge that Obama has mounted in Pennsylvania is the fact that he's managed to do it mostly by recruiting from the type of voters that Hillary has previously been able to keep in her pocket in this race. By reaching out to the white, middle- and working-class vote, Obama is showing the people of Pennsylvania that he not only sympathizes with a state hit especially hard by the recession, but he is willing to fight for them. In a campaign that has placed the importance of no state above any other, making this sort of a comeback is no small feat. Obama's message of economic reform and affordable health care is no more appealing than in Pennslyvania.

In the long run, I think that this month will play a major role in making the economy one of Obama's core issues, which will undoubtedly work out in his favor (and more importantly, it's just what America needs). If the Obama campaign can bring the economy to the forefront of the debates this fall (or if the Federal Reserve does it for him), this will give him a huge edge on McCain, who is holding little more than military experience and his promise to stay the course in Iraq as his trump cards. In a quote from an editorial in last Friday's Boston Globe, Obama emphasized the economic crisis, saying, "there's some very concrete issues that have to be dealt with in terms of disparities in healthcare, or income or joblessness, legacies of the past. So we don't want to paper those issues over." Click here to read the entirety of that editorial, by author Derrick B. Jackson.

Day Five, March 29

Great news for the Obama campaign from the Keystone State: today Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey has announced that he is endorsing Barack Obama for president. Both a well-respected Senator in the swing state as well as one of the coveted remaining superdelegates in the party, Casey had previously insisted he would wait until after the April 22nd primary to lend his support to either candidate. By deciding to tip his hat early, the Obama campaign is expected to experience a boost in popularity in the crucial weeks leading up the Pennsylvania state primary. As this Yahoo! news article covering Casey's endorsement is quick to point out, Casey's support is especially beneficial since the Senator is an Irish Catholic whose popularity with working class voters lead him to carry the vote by 59 percent in the 2006 Senate election.

In his endorsement speech, Casey credited his daughters' passion for Senator Obama as a strong influence in helping him make an early decision in which candidate he would endorse for the presidency. "We need a president who's committed to change and we need a president who will lead us in that new direction, and he's right here with us today, Barack Obama," remarked the Senator. One of Casey's most noteworthy political achievements was his defeat of controversial right-wing Senator Rick Santorum in the 2006 election.

Click here to read a complete transcript of Bob Casey's speech endorsing Obama for President, or you can watch a capture of the Senator's speech on Youtube.