Union Chief: McCain may leave PA too

[darius15]

Democrats cheered on Wednesday when news broke that John McCain's campaign was abandoning Michigan, pulling down its ads and sending staffers to other states.

Almost immediately, an organization called Progress Michigan let loose with a taunt, demanding that McCain keep pouring resources into the state in order to explain to voters his "support for outsourcing" and the "failed economic policies" of the Bush administration.

Many speculated that McCain would now turn his focus to Pennsylvania. But United Steelworkers International president Leo Gerard tells the Huffington Post that the state could soon go the way of Michigan.

"We're seeing -- from the several hundred of our people working every day, hand-billing at the plants -- the last two weeks have really been breaking Senator Obama's way," Gerard said over the phone from his office in Pittsburgh. "In particular, I think folks are sort of not taking John McCain as serious as they were, when they see his vacillation last week. 'I'm not going to debate. I'm going to whip House Republicans into shape. Not."

Gerard also said that the bailout bill is hurting McCain disproportionately. "There's lot of anger at this bailout bill, even though people recognize we have to do something. But our people think it's directly tied to Bush, and they tie bush to McCain. That's the sense of what I've heard back from our people, that the race is breaking out."

A sharp turn toward Obama hasn't been reflected in the polling thus far. However, even as McCain surrogates have repeatedly touted Pennsylvania as a possible pick-up state, Obama has maintained a stubborn lead over the last six months, according to Pollster.com's best-fit line of all surveys taken.

[RoccoR5955]

1. The McCain campaign is circiling the drain

And that stupid poetry is music to my ears!

[BeyondGeography]

2. "not taking McCain seriously" anymore after his antics

Interesting choice of words there. Not good for Gramps because it is such a plausible conclusion.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Rearranging deck chairs on the sinking S.S.McCain... nt

[RollWithIt]

4. Gerard is such a hero... I'm surprised he isn't more discussed on DU....

He's been battling hardcore with the right for 20 years.

[Old Codger]

5. I heard form a repug today

He is a staunch repug,He said today that for the first time in his life he is ashamed of the republican party and no way in hell can he vote for mclame... Hearing a lot like that all over, makes my heart warm.. LOL

[VAliberal]

6. I voted for Dole in 1996 and Bush 2 in 2000

having come of age during the Reagan years.

Around 2002 I came to the conclusion that the Republican Party had become irreparably compromised by the religious right and that Bush 2 was an absolute moron.

A concern for civil liberties, equal opportunity, women's rights, a fair shake in life, sanity in international relations; all that I had associated with the Repub. Party as a young person - correctly or incorrectly - had been abandoned by Republicans and was affirmed by Democrats. The Republican Party of Lincoln or Teddy Roosenvelt was long dead.

I hope after almost a decade of Bush that there are sensible folks who see that the Repub. Party has become the wholly owned subsidiary of big business - big oil - big media - big military. The Repub. Party of today has no concern about the Constitution. It is fascist through and through.

Hope enough PA voters see the truth about McCain to swing it Obama's way! It's looking good.

[InvisibleTouch]

7. Welcome to the light side! :) n/t

[Tutonic]

8. Almost time for him to be turned into glue huh? Hee--hee.

[ShadowLiberal]

9. McCain has been spending twice as much as Obama here in PA,, and it's just not working

It doesn't feel like quite a 2 to 1 disadvantage for Obama here anymore, I think he's spending more here now, or McCain's spending less. Either way we're still flooded with ads.

Personally I think McCain would be better off abandoning PA and focusing entirely on defense in places he's actually held a lead for a lot of the year. In PA McCain has been behind Obama in just about all of the polls taken this year, and whenever McCain was ahead his lead was nowhere near the lead that Obama has had when he's lead here for most of the year.

I think part of why McCain may not get out of PA is because he's already invested too much money in here to give up now, PA is practically one of the only states McCain is outspending Obama according to news reports I've seen (with Minnesota being one of the few others, due to Obama spending almost nothing there). If McCain gives up and admits defeat in a place he's outspent Obama often by a 2 to 1 margin, and where he was up advertising like a month before the democratic primary ended (largely unanswered for a while to) then just what does that say about his chances and the effects of his advertising?