Friday, April 25, 2008

Some final thoughts on the Pa. race

Some final thoughts on the tumultuous Pennsylvania Primary.

Anyone else notice anything odd about the results, especially in Philadelphia and the suburban counties?

On the way to posting a 10-point win in the state, Sen. Hillary Clinton took 60 of 67 counties.

But she lost the city of Philadelphia, where Sen. Barack Obama ran strong. But according to the experts, he didn’t run strong enough. His margin of victory was not enough to stem the tide of the rest of the state going against him.

Ironically, two of Clinton’s biggest supporters were Gov. Ed Rendell, a former Philadelphia mayor, and current Mayor Michael Nutter. Both were early – and strident – Clinton backers.

Out in the ’burbs, first-term Democratic congressman Patrick Murphy was leading the charge for Obama in Bucks County. So of course that county went 2-1 for Clinton.

Here in Delaware County, retired admiral and former Clinton Administration adviser U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, the political neophyte who took down Curt Weldon in a memorable 7th District battle, led the parade in Delco for the spouse of his former boss. Didn’t matter. Obama won the county by 10 points.

So much for endorsements.

There is likely one other interested observer in those Obama numbers in the county. That would be Craig Williams. He’s the Republican who will run against Sestak in the fall 7th District race.

It took the GOP a while before they could find someone who wanted to enter the ring with Sestak, and his formidable campaign war chest.

Don’t look now, but that race just might be more interesting than we first thought.

No doubt we’ll be hearing a lot from both Williams and Sestak. I am guessing that, just like the last time around, this one will go all summer, not bothering to wait for the traditional post-Labor Day starting point.

Catch your breath. We’re about to dive right into the fall race.

3 Comments:

Blogger Heron's Nest said...

Phil,

Your analysis is incomplete.

There are two Congressman whose District's reside in Delaware County -
Congressman Bob Brady (1st Congressional District; approximatley 20% of
DELCO) and Congressman Joe Sestak (7th Congressional District;
approximately 80% of DELCO).

Sestak actually won his portion of Delaware County for Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton beat Senator Obama in Sestak's Delaware County's
portion of the 7th Congressional District.

Removing Congressman Bob Brady's portion of Delaware County (Chester,
Chester Township, Colwyn Borough, Darby Borough, Eddystone, Yeadon, and
the 6 precints located in Darby Township, Ridley,and Tinicum that are
in Brady's 1st Congresional District) from the overall DELCO vote
total, you arrive at a winning vote total for Senator Clinton in the
Delaware County portion of Congressman Sestak's 7th District.

Sestak delivered the DELCO portion of his 7th District for Senator
Clinton.

April 25, 2008 12:12 PM 
Blogger Heron's Nest said...

I accidentally deleted this response, so I republished it from e-mail myself.

No, I am no posting responses to my own blog.

I,'m not that far gone. Yet.

April 25, 2008 12:13 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Phil,

To further add to your analysis, the votes have been counted in the Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties' portions of the 7th Congressional District.

Sestak delivered the 7th Congressional District for Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton defeated Senator Obama in the 7th Congressional District.

April 25, 2008 11:58 PM 

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