Pennsylvania: A Battleground State Leaning Red

RealClearPolitics ^ | February 14, 2010 | By Salena Zito

[Salena Zito]

You have to hand it to the White House: It is at least consistent in sending the absolutely wrong message to voters pondering whether to keep Democrats in control of Congress in the coming midterm election.

Even the body language is all wrong.

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On Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs mocked Sarah Palin's crib notes on the palm of her hand. The next day, President Obama told Business Week that he didn't begrudge gazillion-dollar bonuses for executives of banks that U.S. taxpayers rescued.

That'll all play real well in battleground congressional districts, where incumbents and hopefuls are trying to define a message and a plan to win back independent voters and conservative Democrats who have surged away from them in recent polls.

Poll-aggregator Real-Clear Politics' average on the generic ballot shows Republicans ahead of Democrats, 46 percent to 42 percent. That is one big red flag for the party in power as the midterms approach.

Independent voters may not vote for Sarah Palin, but the White House does itself a disservice by making fun of her; Main Street voters have a lot more respect for someone who uses crib notes (something they might do) over someone who uses a teleprompter in a sixth-grade class room (something they would never do, but that Obama did recently).

[pnh102]

I’ll believe it when I see it.

[no dems]

Didn’t PA go for Gore in 2000, Kerry in 2004 and Obama in 2008? Isn’t that the home of Arlen Specter? Isn’t that one of the coal states that let Obama practically tell them he was going to bankrupt them and they still voted for him?

Leaning Red; huh? Yeah; well, we’ll see.

[max americana]

The state gave the Kenyan Clown the win after Ohio last November. Penn deserves all the misery it can get.

[Yorlik803]

PA sucks. So many blue hairs who wouldnt vote for a Republican no matter what. And Union members who cant think for themselves and only vote for whatever canditate the union bosses tell thme to vote for.

[Dr. Sivana]

Leaning Red; huh? Yeah; well, we’ll see.

They also elected Santorum, who might have won re-election if he didn't try running for prez and support Specter (getting little in return when it was his turn).

[Hawthorn]

I've really had it up to here with journalists' and political pundits' abuse of the adjective "red." And I know many FReepers agree.

So at least here on FR, I wish we could get back to proper use of the English language --

Red = Communists, union thugs and "Progressives"

Blue = pro-USA, pro-life, pro-capitalism and pro-2A pagtriots

And while we're at it:

Pink = "useful idiot" liberals like most Big Ø voters

Green = environmental wackos

Black = anarchists

Purple = homosexuals

Yellow = pacifists and draft-dodgers

Orange = followers of William III or Julia Tymoshenko

Have I forgotten anything?

[Yorlik803]

He is one of the few. God Bless him.

[bt-99]

PA does not suck, thank you very much. It is a state rich in History and full of good people.

That being said I rthink Ed Rendell is a truly horribe person and has been a historically poor governor and a historically great liar and manipulator.

[Yorlik803]

I live in PA{ Pittsburgh to be exact} and I can say just about everthing sucks.
Examples. The roads. The roads here have been rated the worst by truckdrivers almost every year. I have been in other states and thier roads are good, but here they are awful. PENNDOT says it is because of the weather. Like it dont snow anywhere in the USA.
The State Stores. Until recently you could not buy booze on Sundays. And then they are open noon to five. Cant go anywhere else to buy it, so they can charge whatever they like.
And while we are talking about acachol, you can only buy beer at either beer distribors or bars{ only six packs there}. Why cant you go to the supermarket and buy a six pack like almost every other state? Who knows?
The bloated government. More politicians per person than any state. And most are corrupt.
The people here are great, and there is a lot of history. But it could be so much better.

[Lazlo in PA]

The right is making some in roads here. We recently had some big state wide court wins and the state Dems are mired in a very corrupt situation.

[neverdem]

bump & a ping

[Moorings]

I think PA has become like Illinois- chained to one party rule, even if the ruling politicians are trampling the voters like a well used rug.

[neverdem]

Ping

[Shooter 2.5]

Please remove this from the bang list. It has nothing to do with Second Amendment Rights. Thank you.

[outhousepatrol]

“PA sucks. So many blue hairs who wouldnt vote for a Republican no matter what.”

Same with Massachusetts, they would NEVER, EVER vote for a Republican U.S. Senator!

WTH! You mean they did?

The public is hot! Gimme a flame thrower, let’s smoke out all the Rats!

[Political Junkie Too]

Let's recall the context of the current red/blue usage.

It used to be that the TV networks colored the states based on Electoral College wins using Blue to represent the party incumbent in the White House. Red was used to represent the challenging party.

However, 2000 changed all that with the USAToday publication of the "Bush Country" map.

Here is a 2004 Freerepublic variation, showing Bush in Blue and Kerry in Red.

However, by this time the image of red/blue as conservative/liberal had become seared into the consciousness of the American people.

-PJ

[mendedheart]

My husband’s hometown is Pittsburgh,PA. We were just back there last month & the “talk” is not good for the dems. Arlan is from that state but folks think he is a whimp.
Makes his mind according to direction of wind blowing at the time.
We know many people back there thought Obama was King but now called a ther names not to nice.
No jobs, BO promise PA & Ohio he would have jobs,built back the steel mills, glass & pottery factories. Give WV & PA clean cold jobs etc.
They have notice the light is not the end of tunnel. The tunnel goes on & on filled with empty promises.

[Hawthorn]

>> the image of red/blue as conservative/liberal had become seared into the consciousness of the American people <<

Your second graphic is obviously far superior!

USA Today's 2000 map has long struck me as a massive psychological "coup" to undermine the old public understanding that reds (Communists) and pinkos (fellow travelers) are bad, while blues (American patriots) are good.

Looked at another way, it seems the MSM and the academic left want the public still to think that red equals "bad" and blue equals "good" -- only it's now the Patriots who are the baddies while the Leftists are the good guys.

Why give in to this abuse of the English language? I say we should fight back to reclaim proper usage. So every time there's a FReeper post that refers to conservatives as "reds," let's call for a correction.