Also in the WaPo, David Broder goes to some suburbs of Philly in which support for Hillary was massive, and discovers that McCain may be in deep trouble:
The striking shift in Montgomery County, often a bellwether, makes McCain’s task of recapturing Pennsylvania from the Democrats look almost like Mission Impossible.
***Ann Marie Cutler, another Clinton primary voter, admits that she still has “some doubts about Obama in terms of experience,” but she is reassured by the fact that “he’s very bright.” She watched the vice presidential debate and was “sorely disappointed” with Palin. She “drops her g’s constantly,” Cutler said.
Said Marjorie Lukens, a registered Republican: “The thought of Sarah Palin being a heartbeat away is terrifying.”
***Peter Wilde, a retired high school teacher who was working on his car on a sunny afternoon, said he has decided on Obama, but “I really like John McCain, and in any other election but this one, I’d vote for him. He’s a man of integrity and he speaks his mind.”
So, why Obama? “I think his tax plan is better for people like me, and after the last two weeks, my 401(k) is not in too good a shape.”
***Debra Almack, an accountant and registered Republican, supported Mike Huckabee because “he is a person of character, not a politician.” After reading Obama’s memoir, “Dreams From My Father,” she decided that he, too, “has a lot of character. I know he has some liberal ideas, but I really think he’s pragmatic.”
At the time of the primary, Obama was fighting two foes: Clinton and the voters’ lack of familiarity with him. The Democratic National Convention and those ubiquitous ads have dealt with the latter problem, and Clinton herself was working the Philadelphia suburbs on behalf of Obama yesterday.
In early September, Obama opened a storefront headquarters not far from the library where I was interviewing voters — one of three such offices in Montgomery County alone. The day after I visited, a platoon of New York volunteers was arriving to help local supporters canvass the same neighborhoods.
It’s hard to see how John McCain can overcome these odds in Pennsylvania.
I have my hands on this secret video of a McCain campaign strategy session in Pennslyvania:
Kathy
I think the best thing the McCain camp can do (however it is too late) is to keep Palin as far away from the Philly suburbs as possible. There are plenty of women here who used to be Republicans, who supported McCain in 2000. They are a bit leary of over reaching government, but nevertheless, they are appalled by the anti-elite, anti-education snobbery that Palin revels in. We like Meg Whitman (Carly Fiorina, not so much), there are very few people who know who Meg Whitman is who like Sarah Palin.
Besides, women in my bowling league don’t trust her. ‘Nuff said.
Walker
Nuke it from orbit. Only way to be sure.
Napoleon
First it was Soccer Moms, then Hockey Moms, and now Bowling Moms (something I can appreciate having grown up in a blue collar catholic steel town background)!
Woodrow "asim" Jarvis Hill
Sadly, they cut that clip before one of the other best lines in the movie — Newt repeating the word "mostly".
Sent chills down my spine, the way she said it.
DonnaInMichigan
Do they have truancy laws in the good state of Alaska?
Why isn’t Todd staying put in Alaska and making sure those kids are in school? Or does he need to follow Sarah around, making sure she really doesn’t make a bigger ass out of herself? How can either parent homeschool these kids if they are out traveling around all day?
They already have one high school drop-out, pregnant kid, who now sadly becomes a statistic, and her fiance who is also a high school drop-out, about to become a daddy. Their son who by rumors was in trouble with the law, so much so, that it was put to him to join the military or end up facing jail time.
Why isn’t the media questioning this??
boonagain
@DonnaInMichigan:
family Values, so shut up!!!
SamFromUtah
@DonnaInMichigan: Do they have truancy laws in the good state of Alaska?
They got a truancy notice from the school principal, and it cleared the kids of all charges.
Notorious P.A.T.
LOL. I love Bill Paxton in that movie.
Kathy
FYI, I know it is nit picking, but Drexel Hill is in Delaware County. The Broder story has an Upper Dublin dateline which is in Montgomery County. Montgomery County really is ground zero for the old line Republicans. You know, socially moderate, skeptical about government overreach, yet believed in education. These are the voters that the old McCain could have reached before he cast his lot with the Rove maniacs.
Here is another irony, McCain is speaking at MontCo Community College just down the road from me, but since registrations have gone hugely to the Democrats, no one who lives around here is allowed to attend. He’ll just tie up traffic and build more resentment.
When Republicans realize that insulting people doesn’t lead to more votes, perhaps they might make their way out of the wilderness.
Capri
I think it’s going to be much worse in PA than Broder imagines
My mother lives in Bryn Mawr – the heart of the main line, old money Republicans. She has a many friends who voted in the republican primary so that they could cast their vote to select down ticket candidates, but who have no intention of voting for a Republican president. And that was in May, months before Palin.
Sinister eyebrow
My father in law lives in Bethlehem PA. He votes back and forth between R and D in presidential elections (voted for Clinton, voted for Bush), and he’s picked the winner in every election since Nixon. This year, he’s voting Obama.
He was also horrified and embarassed about the footage that came from the McCain/Palin rally in Lehigh Valley.
Comrade Stuck
Not mention clearly favoring "A’s" at the expense of O’s and U’s. We don’t need no Vowel Bigot in the White House. We’ve had enough Court Jester English spoke there the last 8 years, dont’cha know.
John
Question:
Does the Obama campaign mostly come at night, mostly?
James
The "Aliens" clip is right on. I also think of the scene when Bill Paxton is whining about being "short" and getting out in a few weeks. Wonder if McCain was thinking the same thing before the whole "atmosphere processor is going to overload and blow everything up" situation arose.
Delia
McCain has Obama right where he wants him. He said so himself.
Huck4Life
McCain has been listening to bad advice beginning with whoever advised him NOT to choose Huckabee as his running mate and continuing with the poor way his campaign has been managed. I heard his speech yesterday and he finally seems to be on target talking about the specifics of what his administration can do for us compared to what an Obama presidency would do TO us. He is capable of the job, and his character goes unquestioned. Character should be the No. 1 thing our president has to have. Obama’s associations tell me so much more than his empty words do. We are in for the worst 4 yrs. in history IF he is elected.
dmak
Huck4:
The very fact that you support(ed) Huck and, despite all the evidence to the contrary (some of which you yourself cite), still believe McCain’s character is "unquestioned" gives me great confidence that you will be wrong about the next 4 years, too. Thank you for that.
Maxwel
No one grovels like Paxton.
Comrade Colonel Ivan Ivanovich Renko
Because they’re white.
SA2SQ, etc.
Ed
John,
Grew up in Drexel Hill and my parents still live there. I live in Philadelphia now. Me and my mom used to be the lonely Democrats passing out the Democratic ballot on election day. Barely anyone would take them. But the arrogance and corruption of the Republicans, who had basically been in power for 100 years, really changed things. Plus, the community has become somewhat more diverse in the last 20 years (although still predominantly white and Catholic). Even so, I saw a lot of Obama signs on the lawns this weekend. Sure wish I was giving out the Democratic ballot in Drexel Hill this November.