Pennsylvania is to Barack Obama what Ohio is to John McCain -- a large, politically competitive state that he almost assuredly has to win to have any chance of moving into the White House.
For much of the general election campaign, Pennsylvania seemed completely in play -- a worrisome situation for Obama and his strategists.
~snip~
Over the next two weeks or so, however, it will be worth watching how often -- if at all -- McCain's itinerary takes him to Pennsylvania or whether, alternatively, his campaign starts to scale back its efforts there. The reason -- two new surveys, one taken at the end of September, the other during the first few days of this month, showing Obama with a substantial lead.Setting aside such polls as, by nature, ephermal (and perhaps flat-out wrong), a Washington Post story today that surveyed voter-registration trends in several states offered some numbers that spell out the daunting challenge facing McCain in Pennsylvania. Here it is:
This year, 474,000 Democrats have been added to the rolls in Pennsylvania -- while the GOP rolls have actually lost 38,000 voters.
more:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/10/has-barack-obam.html