BlogHer - Pennsylvania Primary-OPEN THREAD DISCUSSION - Comments

How exciting!

vickyt — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:54:11 -0500

I'm not from PA, but I'm happy Clinton won. I agree with all of Gloria Feldt's opinions on the matter :)

This concerns me

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:02:03 -0500

...but I'm going to try and NOT jump to conclusions until later...

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

Yay Hillary!

Denise — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:38:26 -0500

I'm happy. And tired. And very happy.

Yay HRC!

Thank you Pennsylvania I always did like you.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

First Clue - The Missing Lawn Signs

pamlyn — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:35:33 -0500

I know how you feel about the lawn signs.:-)

But when I saw a noticeable lack of political signs in Plymouth Meeting and Whitemarsh I thought something was up.

CNN has projected that Hillary has won Philadelphia.

However, it's very interesting that CNN's early returns indicate that Barack Obama will probably win Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs but not by the margin that was expected. Was there a closet Hillary vote in Philadelphia? Or, is this attributable to early morning problems with the voting machines and the reports of election irregularities that were called in to the League of Women Voters hotline.

Ahhh, Philadelphia politics!

Pamela Lyn

Excited as well...

saynotodecaf — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:03:47 -0500

I'm really hoping for an upset for Obama or a minimal Clinton win.

I hit the polls around 11:30 AM and was in the mid-300's in voter number at our tiny little church/polling station. No issues there at all- it was as smooth as pie although I think they were a bit shocked to have a Democrat in their very conservative midst.

MSNBC Calls It For Clinton

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:51:17 -0500

For Clinton

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

Very Excited

Diana — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:33:40 -0500

I'm not a Pennsylvania, but I am very excited to see the outcome and am glad to hear that Pennsylvanians are turning out in numbers! Do the polls close at 8:00, as usual? I feel incredibly more vested in this than any other election, perhaps it's because I feel so little power in it. As a Michigander we haven't even been allowed our one vote so I feel amazingly powerless. While I'm extremely frustrated with this feeling I am, in a way, happy to have experienced it. I feel like I have an entirely new perspective on the way citizens of countries with no voting rights might feel. It's not a fun feeling, I can tell you that much.

Looking forward to the results... off to browse the commentary about the blogosphere that I missed while at work today. :)

I think a memory is totally called for!

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:03:08 -0500

I'm glad to hear that it was busy AND am hoping you feel good about your choice. I know when I was undecided too, once I VOTED it was very freeing.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

Those lawn signs...

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:01:41 -0500

drive me nuts. I'm almost glad to hear that and I have no idea why...lol. Can't wait to read your reaction to the results.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

Reportimg in from Philadelphia's Mt. Airy Section

pamlyn — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:15 -0500

Philadelphians simply could not have asked for a more perfect day to vote. Seventy degrees, sunshine and a light breeze.

Mom, a close family friend and I went to the polls at 10:30 this morning. Since the ladies are senior citizens I wanted to avoid long lines and that we did. However, if the available parking was any indication, the turnout was very good.

According to those manning the polls, the turnout had been steady since the polls opened. They definitely anticipated a larger than normal turn out for a Philadelphia primary. They advised me that there had been a few reports of problems with the voting machines in other few districts but they had been reported and addressed very quickly.

As expected look for Philadelphia and Montgomery County to go for Obama. However, the Obama campaign left little to chance. Their volunteers were out in full force. I received two mailers yesterday and there was a flyer on my doorknob this morning. I received one mailing from the Clinton campaign yesterday.

After voting, the ladies and I went to brunch at one of our favorite spots in Montgomey County. Traveling through the neighborhoods, I was struck by the absence of lawn signs. In many past elections, political lawn signs popped up like wildflowers. This time, while there were a few Obama or Clinton lawn signs, it seems that most people chose to stay publicly neutral.

I'm numb too

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:59:58 -0500

Well, MOSTLY. Some of the really big stuff (like the debate spin) really unnerved me...but mostly...numb. I think that's bad. Its wearing on us.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

Horray for BItter people!

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:58:18 -0500

Can't wait to hear/read your reaction as results come in...thanks for coming by

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

No haterade served here

Maria Niles — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:06:07 -0500

I know many BlogHers support her, so please don't hate me. lol.

And lots of us support Obama, many others McCain and plenty none of those three. So, thanks for sharing your experiences :)

I Voted in Philadelphia

Lori Hylan-Cho — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:39:11 -0500

I was undecided right up until this morning, but after one last conversation with my husband, I managed to make a choice. It helps that in Pennsylvania that we can also vote for the delegates that we send to the convention, so I was able to register my indecisiveness with a split vote for President and delegates. :-)

I abandoned my first trip to the polling spot around 8:30 because the line was too long, but after a trip to the gym it had cleared out (around 9:15-9:30). I only had 4 or 5 people ahead of me in line, and the volunteer at the door was no longer thanking people for their patience.

I was told, to my disappointment, that no photos were allowed within the polling place, so I waited until I was outside the area with the booths and snapped a Polaroid. I wanted a little memory of the day.

LoriHC
avocado8

It's pin the tail on the donkey but the darts not moving

Jill Miller Zimon — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:33:27 -0500

Okay - I got all op-eddy here.

Things to know: I wanted Biden but would have settled for Dodd or Richardson. Clinton and Obama have been at the bottom of or off of every straw poll I've filled out. When I do the match me with a candidate thingies, my first three choices are always the ones that match me, then Obama by a hair over Clinton (with Republicans all 30 or more points away).

I believe that these two candidates represent two massive segments of our country's population that identifies with the Democratic party and that no matter how long this thing went on, they'd be jockeying nonstop.

I want it to end but I am not willing to "tell" Clinton to step down - I believe that there are too many people who still want to vote for AND vote AGAINST her, because this is a democracy and they're supposed to be allowed to do that.

I was at the point where the damage being done bothered me enormously. But now? I'm really, honestly, pretty numb.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

Pennsylvania Primary-OPEN THREAD DISCUSSION

Erin Kotecki Vest — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:16:20 -0500

FINALLY, after weeks upon weeks of campaigning, Pennsylvanians take to the polls.

In the hotly contested Democratic race for the nomination, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are counting on last minute ads and tv appearances to sway voters.

A CNN poll of polls placed Clinton ahead of Obama by seven points, 50 percent to 43 percent, with 7 percent undecided.

The Keystone State is by far the most delegate rich primary of left on the calendar.

NPR reports "in Pennsylvania, only Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary. But voters were able to register up until last month. And the state party reported more than 300,000 new names ahead of today's primary."

Above Average Jane has voted, "At 7:30 a.m. I was voter #38, with 7 people in line ahead of me to get into the booth....Mr. J went to vote at 7:45 and there was no line. A neighbor voted about 8:05 and was voter #68. Since I was #38 at 7:30, in the "before work" rush there is one voter every minute. (One machine for people in my voting district.)

When I was there only one or two poll workers were present. I know candidates consider them essential but it always seems like running a gauntlet. It was nice to get in and out without having hordes of people pushing paper at me."

Onengardner shows us where she voted via BrightKite.

Shannon Nelson twitters she did her civic duty this morning.

Mandy Zerr writes, "Got up early and voted in the all-important PA primary. I feel all significant and stuff now."

Dani tells me it was fast for her to cast her ballot, "i voted this AM - #13 at my precinct. in and out in 5 minutes."

PunditMom had her niece poll fellow PA college students and was impressed with the answers, "When I was a sophomore in college (as PunditGirl would say, "back in the olden days, mommy?"), a handful of my friends were not nearly as focused or well-informed on campaign politics. Whatever happens in the 2008 election, I hope that my niece and her friends will stay this active and informed. I'll feel a lot better if they're paying this much attention to the country and its politics when I'm gumming my oatmeal at the nursing home!"

How is Pennsylvania going to break down? Will this mark the end for Clinton, or be part of her surge to overtake Obama? What was your voting experience, and what made you cast your ballot for the candidate of your choice?

BlogHer's Pennsylvania Primary Open Thread is...OPEN-let's talk about it. Leave your blog post link in the Mr. Linky widget below, leave a comment, or both!