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13 SEPTEMBER 2012
REGIONSBUSINESS.COM
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Ms. Jenkins agrees. “I’m guardedly optimistic that Obama’s chances are very good,” she said. “The Koch brothers took their money out of Pennsylvania and put it elsewhere. That is an indication to me they think it’s not worth spending their money in the state. That was a good sign that Republican support is conceding.” The Associated Press reported earlier this month that neither presidential candidate is running any ads in Pennsylvania or Michigan, which calls into question whether using the amount of television advertising is a reliable indicator of who will win the state. Both parties appear to be focusing more on swing states such as Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia. Despite Obama’s current lead and historical advantage, a statement provided to Region’s Business by the Romney campaign says it believes Gov. Romney will carry Pennsylvania and cites Gov. Corbett’s election as proof the blue climate is turning red. “Fueled by unparalleled Republican momentum that swept through the Commonwealth in 2010, we continue to see growing excitement for the Romney-Ryan ticket in Pennsylvania.,” wrote Kate Meriwether, Pennsylvania communications director for Romney for President. “Polling has consistently showed apathy among Democrats and disapproval in President Obama and the path our nation is on in a state that President Obama won by double digits in 2008.” She added that the Romney campaign is placing its efforts into an “unprecedented grassroots campaign,” rather than advertising. The Romney campaign isn’t the only entity questioning President Obama’s ability to win Pennsylvania either. It appears there is a split among some Democrats as to the president’s chances to pull off another victory here in 2012. “I think it is going to be a very close election myself, and I’m not sure he can do it. I know he’s up in Pennsylvania but he’s got a lot of work to do,” said Mr. Knox. “People are mad. They are mad because they don’t have jobs. Their kids don’t have jobs. Their kids are mad because they don’t have jobs and have to live with their parents.” Rep. Mark Critz, D-12th Dist., who is seeking reelection in a conservative area of the state, shunned the Democratic convention to campaign in his district. He publicly criticized the president in
June after President Obama’s economic speech saying, “President Obama and others in Washington need to realize that we cannot spend our way to prosperity.” But Pennsylvania has weathered the economic downturn better then some other states. “There are certainly some pockets of economic hardship but the state has not undergone dramatic economic fluctuations,” said Mr. Smith. “Pennsylvania is a state that has had a relative stable economy and population in the modern period.” He attributed the Marcellus shale, along with other factors, with providing jobs THE CORBETT FILE Nfe k_\ )'(' ^fm\iefiÊj iXZ\ fm\i ;\dfZiXk ;Xe FefiXkf Yp dfi\ k_Xe *,'#''' mfk\j XYflk 0 % J\im\[ knf k\idj Xj Xkkfie\p ^\e\iXc $ (00,$ (00. Xe[ )'',$)'((% @e )'('# _\ nXj Xdfe^ (+ Xkkfie\pj ^\e\iXc k_Xk ]`c\[ X cXnjl`k Z_Xcc\e^`e^ k_\ dXe[Xk\j f] k_\ e\n ][\iXc _\Xck_ZXi\ c\^`jcXk`fe% J\im\[ `e k_\ G\eejpcmXe`X EXk`feXc >lXi[ ]ifd (0.($(0/+# i`j`e^ kf k_\ iXeb f] ZXgkX`e%
that are possibly keeping Pennsylvania’s unemployment at 7.6 percent — down from 7.7 percent in 2011 — and unemployment claims are currently at a four-year low. And although the state is faring better than other parts of the nation, former Gov. Rendell told Bloomberg Businessweek magazine, “Democrats can’t be compla-