Mitt Romney arrived in Pittsburgh for his final rally. He was greeted by hundreds of fans across the street from the tarmac at an airport garage trying to get a glimpse of the next President. He waved to them and according to the press got a little choked up saying “That’s when you know you’re gonna win”:
You betcha!
@jaycosttws I am in Bucks Cty and got a call from OFA looking for volunteers to help Obama in the district.Playing catch up last minute
— Mary Sue (@RubySlipperblog) November 3, 2012
And from our official campaign stop tracker No Tribe: “On Monday November 5, President Clinton will campaign in Pittsburgh and Scranton as well as hold two events in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”
This is OFA’s top surrogate. Four stops in Pennsylvania the day before the election.
Any questions who’s winning?
Colleen Nelson in the Wall Street Journal takes the temperature of Pennsylvania and finds a close race without a lot of campaign attention:
Pennsylvania has emerged as an appealing target for Mitt Romney and the Republican Party as they consider where to invest their considerable resources during the final weeks of the presidential campaign. A quick visit to a Pittsburgh suburb on Saturday by Mr. Romney’s running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, suggested that Republicans are eyeing the state—or else trying to keep their opposition guessing.
Pennsylvania is a late bloomer
GOP officials long have said any move into Pennsylvania would come late. The state is the last to start absentee voting and doesn’t allow in-person early voting, so both sides concentrated their early efforts elsewhere.
Where’s the love?
So far during the general-election campaign, Mr. Romney has made five trips to Pennsylvania; President Barack Obama has made two political trips to the state during this campaign.
Poll tighten
Nearly all recent polls show Mr. Obama’s lead in single digits in Pennsylvania, and four of them put his lead at four points or less. A survey released last week by Quinnipiac University found Mr. Obama leading Mr. Romney 50% to 46% in the state, down from a 12-percentage-point gap in September.
Cash and carry
Flush with cash and buoyed by encouraging poll numbers in several states, Romney campaign officials say they continue to evaluate whether to bolster staffing and begin advertising in additional states. While polls show the race tightening in several states that previously had dropped off the list of battlegrounds, Pennsylvania is an intriguing possibility for a late-in-the-game investment.
Fool’s gold
With 20 electoral votes—more than Ohio, Virginia or North Carolina—Pennsylvania often beckons to Republicans. then disappoints. The state hasn’t backed a Republican presidential candidate since then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988. Sen. John McCain campaigned in Pennsylvania four years ago but lost by 11 percentage points to Mr. Obama.
Senate coattails?
A close Senate race, in which Republican Tom Smith has invested millions of his own money, also has energized Republicans about their prospects in Pennsylvania.
Staff shuffling signals
If the Romney campaign decides to elevate Pennsylvania as a priority, it would begin adding staff and airing ads in the state. So far, that hasn’t happened. In fact, five Republican campaign staff members in Pennsylvania recently were redeployed to Ohio and Virginia, leaving the Romney team and the Republican National Committee with about 60 staffers in the state.
A changing Pennsylvania
Registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans in Pennsylvania. But Rob Gleason, chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, pointed to GOP gains in the 2010 election as evidence that the state is now “a little more red than people might think.” The GOP in 2010 won the governor’s office, which had been held by a Democrat, and the Senate seat that had been held by the late Arlen Specter, a Republican who became a Democrat toward the end of his career.
First Paul Ryan, now Conservative hero John Bolton? Something’s happening in Pennsylvania …
When: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012
Doors Open 7:00 PM | Event Begins 8:00 PM
Where: Rashid Auditorium, 4th Floor, Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA 15213
To register for the event, click here.
For questions, contact us at: TeamPA@mittromney.com | (717) 746-8098
For Important Campaign Updates: Text (PA) to GOMITT (466488)
Yes, Pennsylvania is in play … The Romney campaign jumps all over the Keystone State momentum sending Paul Ryan to Pittsburgh tomorrow. This location is a brilliant choice by the Romney campaign. First, chances are you will get a large turnout because it is a population center. Second, sending Ryan tests the waters with a surrogate rather than the more vital use of the top guy. If things go well and you see poll movement the pump is primed for a push with Romney. Third, the visit is guaranteed to generate plenty of news like any other campaign stop in a major media market. This gets heightened based on the aggressiveness of playing on Obama’s turf. Fourth, Pittsburgh media coverage reaches well into eastern Ohio which is blue Obama country. The obvious boon there cannot be underestimated. Very shrewd on many levels.
When: Saturday, October 20th, 2012
Doors Open 8:15 AM | Event Begins 10:15 AM
Where: Atlantic Aviation, 300 Horizon Drive in Moon Township, PA 15108
To register for the event, click here.
All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted.
For questions, contact us at: TeamPA@mittromney.com | (717) 746-8098
For Important Campaign Updates: Text (PA) to GOMITT (466488)
Although Pennsylvania has not always been the priority many of us hoped it would be, the Romney campaign has changed its tune of late and heads back to the state next week:
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will campaign in Pittsburgh next week. Mr. Romney plans to attend a fundraising event, closed to the general public, Tuesday at the Duquesne Club. A spokeswoman for the campaign said she could not comment on whether the former Massachusetts governor also would appear at a public event while he is in the region. His visit follows President Barack Obama’s appearance last week at Carnegie Mellon University for a sun-scorched rally at the end of a bus tour through Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
A local Republican official said the fundraiser at the Downtown club would be a three-tiered affair, with suggested contributions ranging from $2,500 to $50,000. The event will come a week after the GOP campaign announced one more in a series of robust monthly fundraising totals. Combined with the Republican National Committee, the Romney forces out-raised the combined haul of the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee for the second month in a row. The Romney total for June was $106 million compared with $71 million for Mr. Obama and his allies, although the Democratic campaign continues to hold an overall lead in contributions. According to figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, the two candidates have raised similar amounts in Pennsylvania so far, with both reporting totals from state donors of just more than $3 million.
