3/24 Pennsylvania Primary Observations

For a couple of enjoyable but meaningless reasons, this weekend turned into a very lazy weekend for me.  Not a problem, I needed one of those, especially as I know during the next ten weeks I'll be working straight through with maybe one or two days off.  Thankfully the weekend work is diametrically opposite of my week-day work so it still serves as a change of pace.  But I was unable to do as much digging as I wanted to do this weekend on the Pennsylvania campaigns of Obama and Clinton. 

 

1. Obama in the city is winning the yard sign war
2. I have heard at least a couple of Obama TV ads (I was making a sandwhich and feeding the cats) but I have not seen them yet.
3. I have not seen any paid Clinton media
4. Both campaigns have until end of business today to finish their pre-primary registration drives.  Registrations or changes in affiliation need to be postmarked by today to qualify a Democrat as eligible to vote in the primary. 
5. I am seeing a lot of buttons/stickers for both candidates.  They are being worn by whom you would expect (white 20 somethings and all ages African Americans for Obama, older white women for Clinton)
6. Both campaigns or their supporters. independently, are targetting the bus routes for voter registration.  Since last Thursday, I have taken 7 bus trips and on 5 of them, someone is asking people seat by seat if they want to registrer to vote.  Whomever put this together is smart. 
7. On the issue of this being too divise of a primary season and the supporters of the losing candidate sitting out or defecting to McCain in November, I don't put a whole lot of credence into that pattern of behavior for November.  I respect the intensity of emotions and depth of committment BUT I've been through nasty primaries before and usually what happens is the vast majority of the other candidates' supporters spend a couple of days/weeks drinking heavily and then re-engage with the nominee.  I know a good chunk of Southwest PA for Kerry in the 2004 cycle was the Dean volunteers who took a little bit of time to mourn their losses and then got off their asses. 
8. Early spring primaries are so much nicer to canvas for then mid fall general elections as it looks like the weather will turn out to be pretty good for this weekend.