The Patriot News’ Robert Vickers takes a look at President Obama’s 2012 odds in Pennsylvania, along with the possibility of a fractured Democratic party. It includes interviews of some major D figures in the state, a look at Casey’s role in Obama’s re-elect, and a portrait of Organizing for America.
Here are some excerpts:
Further, some say the Pennsylvania Democratic Party infrastructure, which first supported Clinton heavily in 2008, and Obama’s political operation — Organizing For America — have never fully integrated.
Most Democrats and their allies statewide flatly discount suggestions of a disconnect within their forces.
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As the senior Democrat in the state, Casey is expected to carry the water for Obama even as he seeks re-election next year.
“With the president’s policies and the support he’s getting from Sen. Casey, his position will improve,” Burn said.
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Party leaders across the state applaud Burn’s modernization efforts. But some worry those efforts won’t be enough to entice agitated pockets of Pennsylvania Democrats to the polls in 2012.
No one expects dissident Democrats will defect to the GOP, as many did nationally with Ronald Reagan in 1980. But party insiders and observers admit dissatisfied conservative party members could stay home, making it harder for Obama to win the state again.
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“OFA was supposed to play a part in our election, but it never took off,” said [former Rep. Joe] Sestak, noting that the organization had largely gone dormant after 2008. “After the election was over, they never kept the individuals engaged.”
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4 Responses
Cant blame OFA for not wanting to help Sestak. Sestak alienated alot of folks and it costed him dearly in the fall. OFA in the past seems to be made up of Obama groupies to large part… alot of them rejected the notion of helping other candidates in the past.
To add insult to injury for Delco Dems, they lost both Sestak’s Congress seat and Bryan Lentz’s State Rep seat to the GOP.
Of course, Sestak’s one to talk. After he won in Delco, he didn’t use his organization to help local Democrats, but he did show up at events they set up to shake hands and rush for the exit.
Can there be any doubt that Sestak was a Reagan supporter and a closet Republican?
The biggest problem with the Democratic Party is having a self-serving jack-ass on the ticket like Joe Sestak who never passes up an opportunity to criticize the party. Thank goodness he’s not on the ticket in 2012 so he can’t bring down the ticket like he did during the last cycle. SHAME ON YOU JOE SESTAK!!! You can count on the fact that this Democrat will never vote for the 2 star admiral.