For Hillary and Obama, Primary Win Unlikely Without Winning Pennsylvania

February 7th, 2008, posted by Greg Palmer

The Democratic presidential campaigns awoke Wednesday to a new set of primary states looming on the horizon. And in the distance, on April 22, is Pennsylvania.

Now comes a key decision for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama: When should they crank up their operations in the state, given the 158-delegate prize that’s up for grabs in 11 weeks?

‘‘The pregnant question for both campaigns is ‘Do you start to leapfrog into Pennsylvania?’‘’ said Tony Podesta, who ran Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s campaign in the state in 2004 and is working with the Clinton campaign on a volunteer basis this year.

‘‘Or do you concentrate your personnel, resources and all other efforts on the immediate task at hand, in the theory that Pennsylvania is still pretty far away? It could be that neither camp does much there in the next week.’‘

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Clintonistas

On February 7th, 2008 Anonymous said:

I used to be a fan of Bill Clinton until he decided to go negative on Barack Obama. His hatchet job was certainly Rove worthy and definitely low class.

Obama is a refreshing change and he has, much like McCain, the powerful ability to reach people outside of his own party.

So it seems Pa will prove pivotal after all. Good thing no one listened to the likes of Rep. Mark Cohen and moved our primary up. On a side note: Is that guy ever right?

It is too bad Hillary has the establishment Democrats like Rendell (Secretary of Energy Rendell?) and party chairman TJ Rooney.

Wouldn’t it be great if Rendell didn’t think of his own political future before he endorsed Billary?

Pennsylvania Primary Certainly Has Reduced Choices

On February 7th, 2008 Anonymous said:

At the very least, the Pennsylvania has reduced choices with the candidates in contention on the Democratic side being reduced to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and on the Republican side being reduced to John McCain and Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee has said he with withdraw if it is mathematically impossible to win the nomination; that date is speeded up with Romney’s withdrawal and will almost certainly occur before the Pennsylvania primary now that it is basically a one on one Republican race—despite the enthusiasms of Ron Paul backers.

As an enthusiastic member of the Obama delegate slate, I was the first Democratic delegate candidate to file in Pennsylvania, three days ahead of the second candidate to file.

I would love it if the Pennsylvania Democratic primary were to prove to be important, because that will make all delegate candidates and all voters important. But Hillary Clinton’s $5 million contribution or loan to her campaign and the suspension of at a good number of staff salaries are signs that the Clinton campaign is in deep, deep trouble, with only Virginia being widely seen as a likely Clinton victory between Super Duper Tuesday and the Pennsylvania primary.

Even if Pennsylvania proves to be an important state on April 22, that does not mean that the Pennsylvania House Democrats were wrong in seeking unanimously to move the primary to February 12. There is no question that on February 12 both parties will have meaningful contests for their party nomination; a meaningful Republican contest on April 22 is highly unlikely and a meaningful Democratic contest is only a possibility and far from a certainty.

“But Hillary Clinton’s

On February 7th, 2008 Greg Palmer said:

“But Hillary Clinton’s $5 million contribution or loan to her campaign and the suspension of at a good number of staff salaries are signs that the Clinton campaign is in deep, deep trouble…”

Well I don’t know about that – she just raised over $7.5 million dollars in 3 days and her staff are not suspending their salaries. She’s just as viable as she was last week, and as she will be next week and the week after.

Clinton II vs. Bush II

On February 9th, 2008 Anonymous said:

Will Clinton II be as bad for the Democrats as Bush II is for the Republicans?