What does the Clinton campaign’s internal polling in PA show that has led to her going negative even in the last couple of days before primary day? I thought it was common knowledge that the front runner (and she is the front runner in PA) closes positive – no need to be negative when you’re winning, right? LarsThorwald notes in his dairy that there is a different feel about PA compared to Ohio and, as of late, the Obama campaign seems to be shifting tactics a bit. What does their internal polling show?
Our Central NJ group was directed to Delaware County after weeks of requesting our assistance in Montgomery and Lower Bucks County. We gladly obliged although the commute was well over an hour and the area is considered a Republican stronghold. I was told by one man at a home we canvassed that he was informed 30 years ago upon military discharge that he HAD to register Republican or risk never acquiring gainful employment.
So what and where is Delaware County?
Named for the Delaware River, Delaware County is one of 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Delco, a fast-growing county located just southwest of the city of Philadelphia, has 49 unique municipalities with a total population of 550,864 (2000 census). The county is home to 11 colleges and universities including Villanova University, Haverford College and Penn State Delaware County Campus.
Ah hah! College students, perhaps their presence explains a change in focus. Then again Delco is also home of the Helicopter Museum and the Swedish Log Cabin. For other tidbits about Del Co and/or information about adopting Ozzie the pootie or Trixie the fine pup below check out this linky.
Del Co is quite beautiful – rolling hills, green open space, lots of trees and everything is in bloom in PA and NJ this time of year. Our canvassing meet-up site was not the Del Co office in Springfield (1 of 36 PA offices), but at a kind person’s home who provided delicious monster muffins in the morning and, at the end of the day, homemade salsa and corn chips! We NJ people tend to judge our canvassing experiences by the food made available. I digress. An Obama staffer provided training, assignments and swag. There was an abundance of lawn signs, buttons and amazing literature that I had not seen before. No cost spared.
Each team was given an obscenely large area to canvass and told to do our best. Our canvass covered three distinct areas with over 125 doors. The first area was inhabited by Obama’s toughest demographic and as one might imagine all that we encountered were Hillary people. We covered the area in about 2 hours in 85 degree heat and no Obama voters to buoy our spirits. So we went to lunch. The second area was less than half a mile away and only slightly more upscale (we’re talking a very small degree) and we struck Obama gold. Almost every address with somebody home was either for Obama or undecided and quite willing to listen. We were so joyful!
One undecided lived with an Obama supporter. I had just left literature for them at their door when they drove up and parked in the driveway. She saw my buttons, clipboard and happy volunteer face and from the passenger side of their car shouted out the window, "You’re looking for me! I’m an Obama supporter, but we have to work on him," - she pointed to her husband. After he got out of the car, I asked him what his major concern was and she answered for him, "social security." He said that he liked Obama, but liked Hillary a little better but that he did not know what either proposed to "fix the social security mess." I explained to him Obama’s proposals and also noted that Hillary had offered no specific solutions other than to convene some kind of commission. He thought a commission was stupid idea and his wife said, "See? Huh? See, I told you." She promised that she would have him in our camp by Tuesday.
Although area two was chock full of Obama supporters, I did encounter one Hillary supporter. She had a little white puffball of a dog that joyfully ran out the door to greet me and proceeded to pee on my foot. Fun! Between the two areas, we knocked on 96 doors and found people home and able to chat at 38 of them. We unearthed 12 Clinton supporters and 17 Obama supporters and now know why they wanted to have us infiltrate this Republican stronghold. Oh, by the way, the man who told me about the mandatory Republican registration liked Obama very much and would consider voting for him in the General. His wife is voting for Obama in the primary on Tuesday.
Now, let’s make some calls to Delco. It is really easy if you have not already accessed the online phone bank. All you have to do is set up an account at:
http://pateams.barackobama.com/
Enter as your home address the Delco Obama HQ:
943 West Sproul Road
Springfield, PA 19064
610-544-3582
And, a script of what to say, a list of names/numbers and a menu to log the results of your calls will be provided. Really sweet! Please commit to making some calls over the next 24 hours. This could be it guys. Obama wins by 1 and this thing is OVER. This will be my last request for Kossacks to call PA, which makes me a little sad. You all have been amazing. We've been praised for our efforts in calling Montgomery County, Levittown and Yardley.
Together we have shown that we can make a difference.