A LOT of talk about how Lamb is the moderate democrat that appeals to us SW Pennsylvanians and Saccone is a firm, conservative republican but ran a lackluster campaign.
Hillary by a landslide
Too early to tell from my perspective, though I have to say I’m not all that optimistic (hope I’m proven wrong).
I voted around 7AM today. There were about four others waiting outside with me; poll worker said it was the first time there was a line outside the polling place in the morning.
I’m in the part of the district that is close to the City of Pittsburgh, so it’s heavily Dem.
I had to practically beg my BF, who lives in the rural part of the District, to vote today and tell his friends to vote. There’s not a lot of enthusiasm about this election from the (R) side.
HEY, ALL YOU REPUBILICANS GET OUT AND VOTE....EARLY AND OFTEN...YOU HAVE TO BE BETTER CHEATERS THAN THE DAMN RATS.
Trump has very little coattails. When you add the GOP candidates since Nov 2016 have been running against the DEM candidates *and* Trump simultaneously, it’s a recipe for political disaster.
I think it’s hard to get excited about a candidate like this. I hope he wins, because this will be spun by the MSM as a loss for Trump.
Is the steel union really going to turn out the vote against Trump? Looks like it. Saccone seems to lack any lift from supporting Trump: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/steel-workers-pa-18/index.html
What are the election integrity laws like in PA? Is there “same day voting?” Voter I.D. that doesn’t accept student I.D.’s?
Remember that the GOPe in this state has a poster boy of Pat Toomey. Unlike tax cuts and illegal immigration (things in Saccone ads) being pro-gun means something in western PA. The GOP is seen as anti-gun and that equals disaster. Hope I’m wrong.
Both Saccone and the media will win tonight. Saccone wins by beating Lamb and the media wins because he won’t win by the DJT margin of (+/-) 20 points. A rematch is scheduled for November.
save
That means that whatever happens today will just be redone in November. Sure, the winner *may* have an advantage in November from running as an incumbent, but that person will have to start campaigning IMMEDIATELY after winning, so there won't be much of a record to run on.
Furthermore, turnout today may be impacted mostly by Democrat enthusiasm that might be more evenly matched by Republican enthusiasm in November than it is today.
So, the bottom line may be that the MSM gets a meme to play up for awhile, but that whatever happens today gets redone in November for real, when a "national" momentum will be in play.
-PJ
I will tell you one thing, we have been bombarded with robo calls from the RNC et al... I had a republican canvasser come by on Sunday asking if I was going to the polls to vote for Saccone and I even got a personal phone message from President Donald J. Trump!! How could I refuse to vote after that?
Needless to say I went over lunch and pulled the lever for Saccone. Lamb is running an under the radar race where he doesn’t commit to any positions and does not talk against any of Trump’s proposals directly. Saccone is advertising he’s a true conservative and will be Trump’s wingman in Congress. They said traffic in the polling booth has been steady all day even though I was the only one in there voting. Most people I believe go to vote either before work or after so no surprise that it was not busy when I went in.
My guess is Lamb wins.
GOP hasn’t given anyone a reason to vote for them.
/shrug
During a regular election, there would be a line out the door, and during the 2016 election, I went at 7:00 AM and was at least 20+ back.
We just have to 'wait and see'.
Honestly at this point, there really isn’t much to comment on. This one is a turnout race, as nearly all special/mid term elections are.
Weather is fine.
Dems and Trump haters are motivated and will crawl over broken glass to vote...
I have felt Saccone and the GOPe pacs messaging has not been appropriate to motivate turnout outside the hard core R’s who were going to show up anyway.
Saccone should still win by a few points, but it should not be as close as it is going to be, and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Lamb pulls an upset.
I believe and have from the start, that Saccone’s and the GOPe PACs messaging was tin eared in this race. Typical republican red meat, attempt to tie the D to Pelosi. This sort of messaging could literally be from any election for any R candidate for the last 15+ years.
Seems to me that The GOPE/SACCONE seem to want to just rely on the district makeup to pull them over the finish line.... not really put out a strong motivation to get the MAGA voters (Is and cross over D’s who showed up for Trump) to come out to vote.
If this is the messaging they plan to run in the fall midterms, R’s will lose a lot of close districts, and the house.
Time will tell... this one fully boils down to turnout. If I am right, Lamb may pull an upset. If it is closer than 8 points GOP needs to wake up to reality before fall and fix their messaging.
Is it snowing in PA today?
Win!
Amazin, 45 posts, Half mention turnout will decide it. ...
And not one mentions that turnout is created by boots on the ground going door to door.
Boots are even more important when the candidate lacks charisma.