Head-Scratching Over Pennsylvania? (Wizbang)

At the New York Times' International Herald Tribune an article on Pennsylvania opens with what has been, to me, a rhetorical question.

People are scratching their heads: Why is Senator John McCain here?

Why is that rhetorical to me? Because over a week ago a little birdie (several birdies, actually) told me that McCain's internal numbers in Pennsylvania have had him well within striking distance. And that jibes with this week's news of Obama's errantly leaked internal numbers for Pennsylvania: A mere 2% lead.

That's why McCain's there.

Not exactly the whoppers that grace the polls in the news coverage. And such are McCain's internals, I am told, in a few other places. This doesn't solve for every state by any means. But it solidly dispels the notion that the Obama campaign can commit to inaugural party planning.

The Obama campaign internals in Colorado show a double-digit lead there. They must. Why else was Joe Biden allowed to speak there unless the outcome were beyond reproach?

Mr. Obama, could you kindly send Jack Murtha to Virginia? That would be most helpful. Many thanks.

Comments (2)

Hasn't anybody been paying ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by Abigail | October 22, 2008 9:23 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

Abigail:

Hasn't anybody been paying attention the past few elections? John Kerry only won PA in 2004 by 2.5% (about 135,000 votes). In 2000, Gore won PA by a little over 4% of the vote.

Pennsylvania is not "deep blue", more of a pretty purple. Not since Bill Clinton in 1992 has any President won PA by more than 10% of the vote, and Clinton only did that because of Ross Perot. The last time before that was 1972 when Nixon beat McGovern. Pennsylvania is almost always within under a 10% spread for the vote, so for a candidate to write it off would be foolish.

Posted on October 22, 2008 09:23

MAN ON FIVE, Cook County, M... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by David Gerard | October 22, 2008 11:27 AM | Score: -5 (5 votes cast)

David Gerard:

MAN ON FIVE, Cook County, Monday -- The McCain campaign is looking at an Electoral College strategy heading into the final two weeks that has virtually no room for error.

"Democrat voting fraud is famous since Tammany Hall," says Republican strategist Karl Rove. "So we'll win without votes."

Voting machines have been remotely reset and the counts adjusted. "Diebold have come to the party big time." Touch screen machines for West Virginia early voting offer voters "McCAIN" or "REPLY HAZY, TRY AGAIN LATER."

The rolls will be thoroughly checked for voter fraud. "If the typeface or font size is different on their driver's licence, Social Security or the voter roll, that's obvious blatant fraud. A typical Liberal knife to the heart of democracy."

The party will check for dead voters as well. "We're making the safe assumption that all registered Democrats are dead. If they're not, we'll correct that." Governor Palin has long dealt with Democrat moose in Alaska. "You betcha!"

All residents of properties whose mortgages were underwritten by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac will be assumed to have voted Republican. "We own the houses, of course we own the votes. It's nonsense to say otherwise."

Finally, under USA-PATRIOT, Obama supporters will be deemed associates of associates of terrorists. The offence will carry a penalty of one day's imprisonment: November 4th.

Mr Rove is confident in the future of our democracy. "One man, one vote. That man being me."

Source: http://tinyurl.com/5cc3ve