Obama didn't get as badly beaten in Western PA as I thought.

[blueclown]

He kept his losses in that area respectable, and with the exception of a few counties, even outperformed Kerry.

How did Obama win the state by 10%, while Kerry only woon it by 2%? Two words. Southeast Pennsylvania. All the swing counties in the state (Bucks, Chester, Berks, Northhampton) swung his way. The white suburbs in Pennsylvania brought the state home for Obama.

[Sebass1271]

1. awesome!.. So proud of PA!!!

[blueclown]

3. If there was going to be a Bradley Effect, it was going to be here.

But it didn't. Obama outperformed expectations here.

[Kahuna]

2. Yes!! I'm proud of PA too.

:yourock:

[blueclown]

4. Me too.

I expected a squeaker. I was surprised when it was called so early. McCain put everything he had into this state. EVERYTHING.

[WI_DEM]

5. Obama won Philadelphia county by 574,000-113,000 or 84% of the vote

here is the county by county breakdown:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/states/president/pennsylvania.html

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. The Bush campaign COMPLETELY misread PA

I grew up in Erie County in a small (formerly) industrial town. The Republicans kept talking about "conservative blue-collar Democrats". If they meant "socially conservative" - that would be true. But if they thought that running around between former industrial towns where people have seen with their own eyes the collapse of a once prosperous way of life - where people have seen with their own eyes, a reasonably affluent working class turned into a permanent poor class - if they thought decrying Obama for wanting to "spread the wealth around" while extolling the virtues of "free trade" was going to swing Pennsylvania to them - I cannot imagine how they could possibly have been more politically in-astute. It's as if they were unwittingly campaigning for Obama.

With all the blitz across PA and all the resources they put into it - they started before their blitz about 8 points behind in the polls and ended up losing by 10 points.

They just don't get it.

:eyes:

[tigereye]

9. exactly! My husband thinks that Rendell did a great fake-out to make the

Reps. come here and spend all that money, knowing it wasn't going to work...

[Sugarcoated]

10. I suspected that, too

When the formally leak tight Obama campaign leaked the same thing I was pretty sure it was strategic.

[RamboLiberal]

7. I'm proud of the way my state performed

except for the fuckwads who voted for McCain because of racism in SW PA outside of Allegheny county. Note this is an area of Appalachia which is the one area of US where McCain was still strong. We'll work on them. Doesn't help that all we have over here is RW radio 24/7.

We even got a new Democratic Congresswoman in Erie defeating Phil English.

And I'm so proud the Obama people refused to play the old party PA Democratic crap of street money. Take that Ed Rendell.

But PA will still be in good stead with the Obama administration. I hear that Obama really likes our senator Bob Casey who came out for Obama in the primaries while the idiots like Rendell, Nutter, Ravenstahl, Onorato, etc. were backing Hillary. Nothing against Hillary but at that time they should've seen which way the win was blowing and that even with a PA win Hillary was still the longshot.

[Jackinbox]

18. I would love to hear what Quinn & Rose said on Wednesday morning...

They all but guaranteed that McCain would take the state based on all these secret numbers they had. Ha! They also thought Murtha was in real trouble and would probably get beat. It wasn't even close.

[LynneSin]

8. I want to know how Obama won Elk County in Pennsylvania - that one shocked me

I understand how he could pick off Cambria County, that has Johnstown which is a large, blue-collar city that has been economically depressed. But I can't figure out Elk County, it's largest city is St. Mary's and that's not really much of a city (although bigger than Wasilla).

[windbreeze]

12. Born/raised in Elk Co Pa

haven't lived there since 1959...
Obama at 6910 votes took 51% of Elk Co...to McCain's-6252 votes or 46%....

http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/states/president/pennsylvania.html

yes, he won it...I misread something along the way...sheesh...you wanted to know how he took it...meaning??

[LynneSin]

15. Seriously yes, I mean that's fricking redneck country USA

and trust me, I was born and raised in Perry County PA so I know what I'm talking about!

[windbreeze]

16. Yes, it is...

I checked out the primary results...and he took all the votes Hillary/he got in the primary, combined...Was I surprised?? yes...but how much has * or his policies affected that area? Not many people left in a lot of those cities...and things aren't so good for the ones who are there....Perhaps they saw hope too, and went after it...

Then when you consider that Palin spent a lot of time there in some of those little towns, she must not have connected as well as they hoped she would...but then let's be real...you have real hunters in Pa...not hunters that shoot an animal from a helicopter...sometimes it's the small things that count the most...wb

[cap]

11. obama won Bucks

There were a lot of Republicans in my neck of the woods... tons of McCain/Palin signs but all for nought... Obama won Bucks by the same margin as he won the rest of the country 53 to 44.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-11062008-1617172.html

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Obama won Centre County by 8,000 votes...Kerry lost by 2,000

Penn State, sure, but that's not all that's there.

[cooolandrew]

14. Apparently high foreclosures in PA at the moment helped too. Great to see PA a lovely shade of blue>

it shows they get it and more states to get enlightened with time. I think the obstruction the GOP are about to try and pull off will probably be good, should mean a nice wipe out in 2010.

[justiceischeap]

17. I was shocked when I saw Lancaster County was blue

I lived there for close to twenty years and I don't think Lancaster County ever went blue.

[denem]

19. Rendell is an asshole - handed McCain an anvil.

Those PA town halls - the humanity!