While encouraging, it's important to keep in mind that these are national numbers, and not numbers from Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, etc.

My mother-in-law, a retiree in suburban PA (in a red county) was recently invited to the "mansion" of a "millionaire" who claims to have never supported a political candidate in his life, for an Obama meet-up. She said there were 5-6 Obama staffers there, volunteers who had taken time away from their jobs and their families, and he was putting them all up in his house and guest house. She said it was so well-organized, it just blew her away. Plus she was able to connect with a few other like-minded people in her area. Just an anecdote.

Why in the world do people keep insisting that PA is a 'swing' state... it is not my any stretch of the imagination. I live (t)here and I have not one shred of doubt that PA will vite democratic.

based on your previous post about him going gray I thought you were following up to tell us he's pregnant as well

good to know its a different bump :)

More evidense that Obama wants to be a big, fat, old Republican fat cat. He can't wait to get his fingers on the buttons.

Obama will do any say anything.. Even die his hair to better fool people... disgusting.

You should really sign up for one of those English As A Second Language classes. It would make your time in my country more enjoyable for us both.

Videos of Obama's trip decimated standard attack that's been made on anti-war Democrats since Vietnam--that they don't support the troops--since, obviously, the troops thronging around and cheering him in Afghanistan and Iraq felt differently. Alas, the videos also upheld the Republicans' one hope of defeating Obama in November, and the reason he can't seem to get above the 50 percent mark--he's still black, and there's still a hell of a lot of racism in America.

To the person who protested Pennsylvania being called a swing state--I live in PA too, specifically the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. From where I sit, yes, it's hard to believe McCain could win PA. Then, it's even harder to believe that Rick Santorum represented the state in the Senate less than two years ago.

I'll leave it to you to supply us with "evidense."

I thought I told you last week to have the McCain campaign reassign you to post on a lighter-weight website. I'm kind of glad that you're back, though - your sheer stupidity and comical right-wing boilerplate talking points provide plenty of comic relief.

The voting machines will be rigged, some people, who most likely will vote for Obama, will be scrubbed from the voting lists. Democracy American Style!!!

We already saw this in 2000 & 2004.

DISGUSTING.

You have Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metropolitan areas serving as the Democratic urban areas and then a whole hell of a lot of scary half-educated Republicans everywhere else.

Now before the MENSA Chapter for Lycoming County teams up with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Democratic Counsel to slap me on the wrist for my grotesque generalizations, let me continue:

This is not to say that there are ONLY half-educated Republicans everywhere else. There are well educated republicans, half-educated Democrats and all variety of people (JUST LIKE THE UNITED STATES).

But the real Democratic strongholds are in the big urban areas at the western and eastern edges of the map. Sound Familiar?

That said, I do believe that PA will stay blue this year. The Obama machinery is conducting itself quite well, and a well chosen running mate (or an assist from Hillary) could help boost him nicely in some of these creepy rust belt "Reagan Democrat" NRA, bible-thumper regions.

Of course, I would recommend that the Obama camp avoid designating any personel with the title of "Director of Creepy Rust Belt NRA-loving Bible Thumping Reagan Democrats"

That would come off a elitist.

If we're talking about a tied race that's expected to come down to a few hundred votes in a few swing states, then yes, polls of those swing states are crucial for knowing who is actually ahead.

But if Obama actually wins by a margin like he's currently polling (discounting that weird USA Today thing), the odds of the electoral map turning against him are virtually nil. 2000 was a complete historical fluke, not a template for how we can expect elections to unfold.

In order to save money, I think the McCain campaign is outsourcing their sockpuppetry operations to an overseas contractor. I imagine they got a great two-for-one package deal with the email spammers who send out the "sekret muslem" crap.

Whatever you do don't divulge the "sekret muslem" handshake. We wouldn't want that getting out.

Yes the media did well to promote the product they are trying to sell us.I'm sure on this trip Obama has locked up all the European electoral votes they have in this election.The comments about swing states (Pa. etc)Well today in a teleconference Ed "fast eddie" Randell in charge for Obama in Pa.said they have a ways to go and blacks in Pa are not registering to vote and all of the people who supported Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriend's wife have not "climbed on board".The bandwagon propaganda machine of Barrack's has a way to distance himself from all the Bill Ayers, and Rev Wrights etc. A question was asked about muslims being asked why they would be more willing to talk with Barrack since he is worse than an infidel,an infidel can be converted but Obama rejected Islam(so he says)to be christian.He'll get no quarter from them in truth.There are too many red flags for Obama to poll any higher than he is,ever, and more keep coming out of the closets.It has nothing to do with ignorance or racism.Barrack is a phoney front of a political machine that just wants power at our expense.

What's your beef? I guess you must be deeply satisfied with the economic debacle that we have now in the United States. The pointless but incredibly expensive "war" in Iraq must also please you. That kind of logic is what surely leads you to refer to a competent, pragmatic governor like Rendell as "fast Eddie."

BTW- Rendell recently bumped up the subsidy to the Philadelphia School District significantly. A first for a PA governor and indicative of basic intelligence, unlike for example Tom Ridge. He understands that you must PAY for additional resources in the classroom. George Bush appears to have missed that lesson as well but I have hOpe. That clown is on the way out!