August 10, 2011

They Said It!

Obama Is Vulnerable In Ohio And Pennsylvania
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Click To Watch Obama Campaign Already Planning For Defeat In Ohio MSNBCs Chuck Todd: I'm going to pull up Ohio. It's my understanding the Obama campaign believes they can win the presidency and lose Ohio, that they almost have to plan for that. (MSNBCs Daily Rundown, 8/10/11)
OBAMA IS WEAK IN OHIO
Talk To Enough Democratic Strategists Who Have Worked In The Buckeye State And Youll Inevitably Hear Anxiety About The Presidents Standing Here. (Josh Kraushaar, Four Reasons Obama Is Probably Worried
About Reelection, National Journal, 6/29/11)

Obamas Message That The Economy Has Been Turning A Corner Has Been Off Key With A BlueCollar Electorate That Hasnt Been Feeling Much Of A Recovery. (Josh Kraushaar, Four Reasons Obama Is Probably Worried
About Reelection, National Journal, 6/29/11)

A Leading Democratic Activist Said That, While There Will Be A Lot Of Campaigning In Ohio, He Could Also Envision A Scenario In Which The Party Wrote The State Off Early In Order To Focus Elsewhere. (Analysis: Tough Fight for Obama in 2012 in Some Key States Reuters, 7/20/11) 50 Percent Of Ohio Voters Disapprove Of The Way Obama Is Handling His Job As President. (Quinnipiac Poll,
1659 RV, 2.4% MoE, 7/12-18/11)

58 Percent Of Ohio Voters Disapprove Of Obamas Handling Of The Economy, A New Low For Obama. (Quinnipiac Poll, 1659 RV, 2.4% MoE, 7/12-18/11)
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AND VULNERABLE IN PENNYSYLVANIA

Harrisburg Patriot-News: Winning The Keystone State Will Prove A Much More Trying Enterprise Than His Comfortable 2008 Triumph. With President Barack Obamas approval rating sinking in vital swing states and across the nation after a torturous month of debt ceiling negotiations, his 2012 re-election hopes may hinge more than ever on carrying Pennsylvania. But new poll numbers and instability in the financial markets sure to affect the states better-than-national-average 7.6 percent unemployment rate suggest winning the Keystone State will prove a much more trying enterprise than his comfortable 2008 triumph, when he carried Pennsylvania by 10 points. (Robert J. Vickers, President Barack Obama's 2012 Re-Election Hopes Hinge
More Than Ever On Pennsylvania, The [Harrisburg, PA] Patriot News, 8/10/11)

Harrisburg Patriot-News: Perhaps Most Damning Are Persistent Indications Within The State Democratic Party That An Obama Victory Here Will Require A Revival Of Fervor And Party Unity Lost In The State Since Late In 2008. Perhaps most damning are persistent indications within the state Democratic Party that an Obama victory here will require a revival of fervor and party unity lost in the state since late in 2008. A June study by left-leaning Public Policy Polling showed Obamas approval rating among Pennsylvania Democrats to be 10 points below his national average. Pollsters credit the lag to conservative, blue-collar Democrats who preferred Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008 and may have never considered Obama their candidate. The poll also found that 49 percent of conservative state Democrats disapprove of Obama, while 47 percent approve. So basically you have a situation where Democrats are losing about half of one of the key groups within their party, said Tom Jensen, executive director of Public Policy Polling. Further, some say the Pennsylvania Democratic Party infrastructure, which first supported Clinton heavily in 2008, and Obamas political operation Organizing For America have never fully integrated. (Robert J.
Vickers, President Barack Obama's 2012 Re-Election Hopes Hinge More Than Ever On Pennsylvania, The [Harrisburg, PA] Patriot News, 8/10/11)

Former U.S. Senate Candidate Joe Sestak (D-PA): OFA Was Supposed To Play A Part In Our Election, But It Never Took Off. After The Election Was Over, They Never Kept The Individuals Engaged. OFA first reached into Pennsylvania as an established campaign organization in the 2010 midterm elections. Party members bristle when asked about that first true test of OFA and state party unity, which saw Republicans make dramatic gains reclaiming the governors office, a U.S. Senate seat, and the state House of Representatives. Perhaps most telling was that Obama backed three losing candidates: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak and Dan Onorato. OFA was supposed to play a part in our election, but it never took off, said Sestak, noting that the organization had largely gone dormant after 2008. After the election was over, they never kept the individuals engaged. (Robert J. Vickers, President Barack Obama's 2012 Re-Election Hopes Hinge More Than
Ever On Pennsylvania, The [Harrisburg, PA] Patriot News, 8/10/11)

Former Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA) Warned That Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Who Is Up For Reelection In 2012, Should Be Wary Of Aligning Himself Too Closely With Obama. But former Gov. Ed Rendell warned that Casey should be cautious of aligning himself too closely with Obama. He has to be a little careful because hes running for re-election himself, Rendell said. Among some of those conservative white Democrats, who may not like the president, hes not going to run from the fact that hes an Obama supporter, but hell want to make clear their differences in policy. (Robert J. Vickers, President Barack Obama's 2012 ReElection Hopes Hinge More Than Ever On Pennsylvania, The [Harrisburg, PA] Patriot News, 8/10/11)

Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA): "I think Pennsylvania right now has kind of a mixed point of view about the president and I think thats a result of mostly where we are on the economy." (MSNBCs Hardball, 8/3/11)

Pennsylvania Is In Play
Rendell: This Is A State That Absolutely Is Up For Grabs. Nobody Should Consider Us A Blue State. Certainly, In Statewide Politics, We're A Red State. (Mike Wereschagin, Rendell Says Pa. 'Absolutely Up For Grabs,' Pittsburgh Tribune
Review, 7/1/11)

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54 Percent Of Pennsylvania Voters Disapprove Of Obamas Job Performance. (Quinnipiac University Poll, 1,358 RV,
MoE 2.7%, 7/25-31/11)

Pennsylvania Voters Say 52 - 42 Percent That Obama Does Not Deserve To Be Reelected. (Quinnipiac
University Poll, 1,358 RV, MoE 2.7%, 7/25-31/11)

MSNBCs Chuck Todd: If Pennsylvania Is Really In Play In October 2012, Its Already Over. (MSNBCs The
Daily Rundown, 8/2/11)

3 Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street SE - Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 - www.gop.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.