Last week, I said Hillary Clinton's got the message that speaks most directly to Pennsylvanians. Even within the past week, the economy has continued to destabilize, revealing malfeasance by corporate actors and mismanagement by government regulators. We've seen this before - as our economy transitioned from a manufacturing base, Pennsylvanians were disproportionately left behind.
As a result, we're skeptical of Wall Street magic and sky-high promises. So Hillary's speaking the right language, and this week Obama started as well. A bunch of reporters picked up on his shift from talking to Pennsylvanians about lofty dreams to talking about more traditional issues.
That, plus his rigorous campaigning, has helped to drop Clinton's lead to a mere 5 points. At least one poll actually shows Obama ahead in PA. So its turned into a real race and my big question is this: if Clinton wins Pennsylvania, can she afford to win by less than 10-12 points?
I'd argue that she can't. Her momentum is already fading and a less-than-stellar win in PA would jeopardize her chances in the few remaining states on the map. A 5-point win is not enough - she's got to sweep this thing, and at least this week, it looks like Obama's gained the big Mo.
** Greg Palmer is the Publisher of Keystone Politics and the former Technology Advisor to Rep. Henry Waxman's Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
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