Romney tries to put PA in play
Norfolk, Virginia (CNN) –In a late campaign push to change the battleground map, Mitt Romney will travel to Pennsylvania on Sunday in the hopes of capturing the traditionally Democratic-leaning state. A Romney campaign official confirmed to CNN the GOP nominee will stop in the Philadelphia area Sunday afternoon.
The Pennsylvania event falls into the Romney campaign's newly adopted strategy of expanding the battleground map in the final week of the race. Top strategists to the GOP nominee targeted Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Minnesota this week for potential gains, pointing to polls in the states that show Romney gaining on the President.
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A Franklin and Marshall College poll released Wednesday, for example, indicated President Obama Obama had a 49%-45% edge over his Republican opponent.
Romney's campaign began purchasing air time in the state this week–a move that was countered by Obama's team. The campaign also announced Rep. Paul Ryan, Romney's running mate, will be traveling to Middletown, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
The Obama campaign immediately scoffed at Romney's Pennsylvania trip as an "act of desperation."
"Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are going all in Pennsylvania, following the lead of every Republican presidential candidate since 1992 who have made last ditch investments in the Keystone State. Not one of them carried the state," Obama campaign northeast regional press secretary Michael Czin said in a statement.
The Romney campaign instantly fired back, accusing the president's re-election advisers of reacting from a "defensive crouch."
"We are looking at an expanded map, while the Obama campaign is pouring resources into states that were supposed to be safe for them," a Romney campaign official said.
"I totally understand why Chicago is freaking out, but I just thought they'd be better at hiding it," the official added.
In the final days before the 2008 election, then GOP nominee John McCain and his running mate, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin made campaign stops in Pennsylvania with similar hopes but to no avail.
In a strategy memo, Romney campaign officials referred to recent comments made by former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell who said Democrats could let down their guards in the state, opening up the possibility of a "startling upset."
Former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, a Romney surrogate, predicted the GOP nominee would win the state in an interview on Fox News Thursday.
Romney's upcoming visit to Pennsylvania was first reported by The Daily.
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Sen. John McCain made a similar late play for Pennsylvania in 2008 but ended up losing the state by 11 points.
If the part of the state hit by Sandy is in the same shape as New York, those people might vote for Romney. People have gone 4 days without power, water, etc. They are mad and they are very impatient. If things aren't fixed now and competently, they will vote for Romney. Obama has said how he'll fix things but if things aren't actually fixed very soon, it will look like he was only pandering.
It is call desperation!
Romneysia knows he can't win Ohio and has to "expand" the map.
can Obama fight back
Where the hell is ryan? And why wont nitwit mitt take on a reporters question? God help us if this idiot becomes potus!!
What Mitt Romney doesn't get yet is that he will win decisively. Across the country. Obama is done.
John McCain did the exact same thing 4 years ago.
A move smack of desparation.
Romney's not going to win this election & I'm looking forward to never seeing this horrible liar again. He's such a fraud!
I heard his next stop is the moon, Newt might be causing people to switch sides with his colony up there.
Mitt Romeny will lose these elections simply becasue he's incompetent, lier, opportunist, populist, flip-floper adn above all I-can-say-anythig-to-win-your-vote. He's unfit to be a president. Romney must know that the UNited States of America IS NOT a corporation.
Romney must be off his rocker if he thinks he can possibly get Pennsylvania. He can talk until he is blue in the face. We are not idiots.
Oh gosh... I guess Mr. Flip-flop does not know where to stop. Many people are still suffering in the aftermath of Sandy, and the only thing that Romney's doing is just campaigning. Please stop this stupidity and the negative campaigns that come with it.
Perhaps Mr. Romney will also make an unscheduled trip to Hawaii
in a frantic bid to put the Aloha state in the Republican column.
Oh, that's right, I forgot, Mr. Romney's team doesn't believe that Hawaii is a state.
A life forms gotta do what a life forms gotta do. : )
Not surprised he's going to Penn. Its a smart play late in the game. Just curious as to why Philly? That's 80% Dem. I would think Pitt would make more sense.
Mit Romney would be the next president. Obama is totally failure. There is a confirmed report that Obama used to sell weed in school,
Really, no responses?
According to Bickers election model, which holds its track record since 1980, it still shows that Romney will win. I will be very interested in whether this election will make an exception for the model.
Unlike no other campaign in history, this one has been rooted in hatred and the country cannot take much more of it.
What's he going to do? Try to blame Sandy on Obama, saying that Obama watched it for hours on television and never sent the Marines? ...or that Obama "authorized" the biggest hurricane in modern history? Well, he needs SOME way to explain it away without bowing to Global Warming and Climate Change I guess! Heck, Romney's chosen faith tells him that he himself is a proto-god: maybe Romney thinks HE caused the hurricane himself, as a way to focus voters on Obama's "failures". Too bad for Romney that Obama put FEMA back together from the destruction wrought by Bush – even while Romney and his boys were not looking!
Good JOB, Mr. President! Even Gov. Christie thinks you're doing a great job!!!
"When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." –Prov 6:7.
Being in PENN also puts RoMONEY closer to the disaster, so he can get more photo opps and show that he is losing!!!!
You dummies who contribute or are contributing to his campaign should ask for a refund and/ or give your money to the people of Hurricane Sandy.......PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL WIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a Pennsylvania Independent that lives in Philadelphia, I believe that Romney actually has a decent chance of winning in Pennsylvania. Much of the state is conservative, and Democrats in Philly might have trouble getting their voters to the polls, since there seems to be an enthusiasm deficit here. Though I still think PA will go blue, I think it will be really close.
We're all good here thanks willard.
If they really thought they had a chance in PA, they wouldn't have waited til 4 days before the election to visit. Still, it might be fun to see axelrod shave his mustache!
Bye Bye Mitt. American do not want you or Lyin Ryan.