As goes PA 13, so goes America.
The results 13th Congressional District of suburban Philadelphia will determine the outcome of the general election this November. If the district swings towards Obama, it will be a mandate away from the establishment, and John McCain will face a hopeless task this Fall. The district is a microcosm of America.
Within its bounds lie key attributes of modern America. Moving west from the banks on the Delaware River in Philadelphia to the rolling hills of rural Montgomery County, the district runs from deep blue Dem territory to bright GOP turf. The district transforms from scenes of post-industrial decline in the City with miles shuddered factories, old row-homed neighborhoods, into shiny new office parks, the most prosperous suburbs in Pennsylvania, in the west, green fields. Voters are split nearly dead even between Republicans (49) and Democrats (51), however the trend has been favoring the Democratic Party. Demographically as well, the picture is balanced; approximately 75% white, 10 % black and 10% Hispanic. More than a vignette of Pennsylvania, it is a picture of America. The race between Hillary and Barack in this district is a test of the mood of the nation. If the 13th goes strongly for Barack, it will be a mandate for change. John McCain will have no chance at all.
Keep your eyes on the results for this district. As it goes, so will America. I know the place pretty well. It’s home and where I ran for Congress.
So, how did it go? I have seen numbers by county but not by congressional district.
I understand that you call the 13th Congressional District of PA a vignette of America, but I do not believe that McCain will not have a chance if Barack gets the nod. Although Saturday Night Live had a great deal of fun poking at McCain’s age last night, I still believe that there is a fear in America’s eyes when they look at the Democrats. When you see Hilary Clinton, you obviously see a woman. Is the country ready for the first female president? And when you look at Obama, you see an inexperienced, young man. What will happen when he is faced with some of the countries toughest decisions? McCain has been around forever. We know how he’ll respond. He is very stereotypical, and exactly what America wants.