In need of Scrapple...

Do I have any readers in Pennsylvania? I know I have an old IM buddy (who is recently engaged, congrats on that one, buddy:-)) from somewhere out near Pittsburgh. I think he still reads. He also shares a name with a very famous American Designer, but that is neither here nor there. No, it is not Michael Kors...

I have also gotten some emails from people in and around Philadelphia in the past, but I am not sure if they all still read or not. Anyway, if you do...I am inviting you all to chime in today on the current state of Political-hysteria in Pennsylvania.

For my foreign readers, a little background. Our slightly-awkward Presidential primary season is nearing its completion. Senator Obama has just about wrapped up the Democratic nomination, but Senator Clinton is still close enough to justify staying in the race. There is one one major primary left that could dramatically shift the landscape: Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is, I believe, the sixth largest state (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois...I think, and am too lazy to Wiki it) and is also a key swing state in the fall. Again, for the uninitiated, many states have heave partisan leanings and in a close election, will reliably go one way or the other. The Democrat will win California, New York, Massachusetts, etc. The Republican will win Texas, most of the South and most of the West. Florida, despite what happened in 2000, is a pretty reliable Republican state.

Pennsylvania tends to lean to the Democrats, but it could go either way. In that sense, it is very similar to Ohio, which is also large, moderate and right next door. In the most simple analysis, a Democrat basically has to win Pennsylvania in the fall to win the election. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The real point is that this is the last remaining big prize in the Democratic race, and it is Hillary Clinton's last chance to make her case for being the nominee. For her to win, she will have to close up the delegate count, establish "momentum" and then convince the convention-goers that she is the candidate that will hold up best over the summer and into the fall. It seems like kind of a long-shot, but yesterday there was a poll that says she is 20 points up in Pennsylvania.

So, I was hoping for some thoughts from my PA readers...what is the mood like? How all-encompassing has this become? Surely, no one could have guessed that this race would matter that much...so how are the campaigns adapting? Seeing as I have an unnatural obsession with this stuff, I am dying to hear from some people in the eye of the storm...

Don't be shy!