Thursday, April 10, 2008

A stunning political development

Here’s your Thursday morning update on the road to the Pennsylvania Primary:

* 12 days until Pennsylvania goes to the polls on April 22.

* Chelsea Clinton comes back to Delaware County today. She’ll do an event at Villanova at the Connelly Center at 9:30. Then it’s on the Saint Joseph’s for another gig at 11:45 at the Hawk Rock in Campion Student Center. Be nice kids. No silly questions about her mom’s credibility in light of L’Affaire Lewinsky.

Actually, it reminds me of how impressed I was with Chelsea’s response when that question was posed on a college campus a few weeks back. She indicated that of the dozens of campuses she has visited, she’d never been asked that question. Then she offered the following response:

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

Perfect. Of course there’s a part of me who is not sure that is the case, that there is anything out of bounds when you put yourself in the public purview of a campaign, but I still love her response. Because it was human, something all of us can identify with. As it turns out, the young questioner was actually a big Hillary backer, but the question still seemed to go over the “wince” factor.

In the meantime, there is much bigger political news rattling around here in Delaware County, something that might have slipped through the cracks amid all the focus on the Democratic presidential race.

For as long as anyone can remember, Delaware County has leaned heavily to the Republican side of the ledger. The local GOP is the stuff of legend, the definition of powerful local politics.

They enjoyed that lofty position because they consistently dominated the voter rolls, for years routinely holding as much as a 3-1 voter registration edge.

Not anymore.

According to the latest figures released by the county Election Bureau, for the first time in county history the GOP no longer holds a majority in voter registrations.

Of course, neither do the Democrats.

But all those registered outside the purview of the GOP now outnumber their Republican brethren. In fact the totals now show the “others” weighing in at 193,858, with the Republicans showing 189,386.

Much of this is being seen as part of the spike in interest generated by those who want to take part in the hotly contested Democratic Primary being waged by Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. When it comes to new registrations, Delco Dems are kicking the GOP’s tail. According to the new figures, the Dems added 7,381 new voters to just 2,815 for the GOP. People switching their designation also lean heavily to the Democratic side of the ledgeer, 14,288 to the Republicans 1,044.

Does this mean the Courthouse is about to fall? Uh, no. Anyone remember last November, when the GOP swept the county council and judicial elections?

What it does mean, however, is likely more of a level playing field. In doing so, Delco joins trends being seen elsewhere in the region. Both Bucks and Montco have seen the Dems become the majority party. That’s not yet the case in Delco and Chester County, but the trends are heading that way.

Of course, all those people who switched registration to take part in the Democratic primary might simply switch right back in the fall.

That’s what the GOP is banking on. Yesterday they announced a statewide plan to push their voter registration efforts.

There was a time, especially here in Delaware County, when that was simply a given.

Not anymore. Amazing.

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