Voters in Pennsylvania will not cast ballots in the presidential primary for another two months.
Some Delaware County Democrats just couldn’t wait that long.
A faction led by county Democratic boss Cliff Wilson jumped on the “Obama Express” yesterday, throwing their support behind the Illinois senator and his message of change.
It’s not unanimous. Some in the party leadership, including U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, and party Vice-Chair Mary Ellen Balchunis-Harris, are backing Hillary Clinton.
The Obama backers threw a little shindig in Chester last night to celebrate. They gathered at the Willie Mae Leake Community Center.
And they had a message for the pollsters who have Clinton holding a substantial lead: Don’t bet the house on it.
They also had a message for those who see only one thing when they look at Obama, the color of his skin.
Whatever Democrats do in this race, they are going to make history, nominating either the first woman or first African-American to lead their ticket.
It is something people have a tough time getting past. That would include our governor, Ed Rendell.
Rendell is backing Clinton. But he raised more than a few eyebrows last week when he intimated that some white Pennsylvanians simply will not vote for Obama because he is black.
Likewise he said there are those who will not vote for Hillary because she is a woman.
He was, of course, correct. On both counts. That didn’t mean it needed to be said, or to be placed in the spotlight.
That’s the problem. There are some people who aren’t going to see anything else when they look at Obama. Or Clinton, for that matter.
But that’s one of the things I liked most about last night’s rally in Chester. It covered all the bases: black, white, young, old, male and female.
It was left to one of the hosts of the evening, state Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-159, of Chester, to put into words what was on most people’s minds.
“A lot of people try to make this about race,” Kirkland told the crowd. “Let me tell you this is not about race. This is about a race to the White House.”
I hope he’s right. My fear is that he’s not.
My hope is that people would not base their vote on a candidate’s gender, or their race. My fear is that we’re not.
That’s why I’m looking forward to the next two months and the buildup to the Pennsylvania Primary.
I’m looking forward to a thorough airing of the issues. I’m looking forward to a serious discussion of whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is the best candidate to face a third senator, the presumed GOP standard-bearer John McCain, for the White House.
I am hoping Pennsylvania can move beyond the joke that sticks to it: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between.
I am looking forward to a historic race in Pennsylvania. And it has nothing to do with the fact that one candidate’s a woman. It also has nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin.
We have two months to prove everyone who believes otherwise wrong.
Some Delaware County Democrats just couldn’t wait that long.
A faction led by county Democratic boss Cliff Wilson jumped on the “Obama Express” yesterday, throwing their support behind the Illinois senator and his message of change.
It’s not unanimous. Some in the party leadership, including U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, and party Vice-Chair Mary Ellen Balchunis-Harris, are backing Hillary Clinton.
The Obama backers threw a little shindig in Chester last night to celebrate. They gathered at the Willie Mae Leake Community Center.
And they had a message for the pollsters who have Clinton holding a substantial lead: Don’t bet the house on it.
They also had a message for those who see only one thing when they look at Obama, the color of his skin.
Whatever Democrats do in this race, they are going to make history, nominating either the first woman or first African-American to lead their ticket.
It is something people have a tough time getting past. That would include our governor, Ed Rendell.
Rendell is backing Clinton. But he raised more than a few eyebrows last week when he intimated that some white Pennsylvanians simply will not vote for Obama because he is black.
Likewise he said there are those who will not vote for Hillary because she is a woman.
He was, of course, correct. On both counts. That didn’t mean it needed to be said, or to be placed in the spotlight.
That’s the problem. There are some people who aren’t going to see anything else when they look at Obama. Or Clinton, for that matter.
But that’s one of the things I liked most about last night’s rally in Chester. It covered all the bases: black, white, young, old, male and female.
It was left to one of the hosts of the evening, state Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-159, of Chester, to put into words what was on most people’s minds.
“A lot of people try to make this about race,” Kirkland told the crowd. “Let me tell you this is not about race. This is about a race to the White House.”
I hope he’s right. My fear is that he’s not.
My hope is that people would not base their vote on a candidate’s gender, or their race. My fear is that we’re not.
That’s why I’m looking forward to the next two months and the buildup to the Pennsylvania Primary.
I’m looking forward to a thorough airing of the issues. I’m looking forward to a serious discussion of whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is the best candidate to face a third senator, the presumed GOP standard-bearer John McCain, for the White House.
I am hoping Pennsylvania can move beyond the joke that sticks to it: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between.
I am looking forward to a historic race in Pennsylvania. And it has nothing to do with the fact that one candidate’s a woman. It also has nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin.
We have two months to prove everyone who believes otherwise wrong.
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