In Philadelphia, McCain sees tough road in big cities
Dante Chinni
Posted: 06.12.2008 / 9:11 AM EDT
PHILADELPHIA – Sen. John McCain entered a town-hall meeting Wednesday to the strains of “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the film “Rocky.” That’s how candidates typically try to win over voters in the City of Brotherly Love, where the movie was based.
Even so, if a list of dos and don’ts exists in Philadelphia politics, the top of it would read: Republican presidential candidates don’t win here – or at least they haven’t for a while.
President Bush captured 18 percent of the vote in Philadelphia in 2000 before improving to … 19 percent in 2004.
Still, before a full house at the National Constitution Center yesterday, Senator McCain promised to campaign across Pennsylvania and particularly in Philadelphia, one of our 11 Patchwork Nation communities, to show that he appeals to voters of all stripes.
But big industrial cities like Philadelphia (places that fall into the “Industrial Metropolis” category) are the hardest for Republican candidates to win. In 2000, then-Vice President Al Gore won 67 percent of the vote from these 24 counties. Four years later, Sen. John Kerry took 67 percent of the vote in these same locales.
Just why are big cities the most reliably liberal places in America – seemingly indifferent to a candidate’s personality?
One, they contain large populations of minority groups who typically vote Democratic – African-Americans make up 28 percent of these counties’ population, while Hispanics represent 16 percent. Two, very few people are evangelical Christians, a religious affiliation that tends to be strongly Republican. Three, a higher percentage of families lives in poverty (14 percent) than the average US county (11 percent).
These demographics mean that violent crime, healthcare availability, and economic equality are at the top of voters’ concerns here. Republicans generally have trouble connecting on such issues, and it seemed that McCain was at yesterday’s town-hall meeting.
He gave his typical stump speech, emphasizing his personal story and lifelong commitment to the country. “The American people didn’t get to know me yesterday,” McCain told the audience. “They know I have always put my country first.”
McCain played up the fact that his views differ from the Bush administration’s. He told the crowd he doesn’t want to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. He stressed that early on he disapproved of how the Iraq war was being fought.
Ultimately, McCain’s problems in places like Philadelphia come down to his positions on other issues.
Sen. Barack Obama wants the government to run the healthcare system, McCain says, adding that government will only mismanage it. He said he voted against the Medicare prescription drug plan because too much of its benefit went to the wealthy and that more competition might help bring prescription drug prices down.
A question on corporate taxes allowed the senator the chance to rail a bit against overcompensation for big executives. However, he also said he supports cutting corporate taxes from 35 percent to 25 percent. “I view it not as a break, but as an incentive to stay in the United States,” McCain said. The answer drew applause, but also one loud “boo.”
Later, McCain expressed sympathy when he was asked a question on inner-city crime, but then he gave a long, winding answer that touched on the international reach of gangs and drugs and the need to seal the borders.
For many conservatives, these are the right positions. But they don’t play particularly well in places like Philadelphia. In conversations with people here, they want more activist and direct governmental answers to those questions.
McCain may plan to stand on his maverick credentials to reach out to the nation’s big industrial cities, but it will be a difficult road toward improving the Republican numbers in those places.
A lot of the dos and don’ts in the nation’s “Industrial Metropolis” don’t favor him.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am EDT
Dear American Voters,
Hon. Senator McCain and Obama, besides each having many attributes and characteristics. The critical differences between the two of these presidential presumptive nominees are as under:
1. Presidential “Temperament and Composer”.
2. Little Washington “insider Versus outsider” experience.
3. “Vision and mission” for our nation future rather than past.
4. American policies, ” first U.S.A Centric” than any other country [ ies ] centric.
In my professional opinion Senator Obama leads in all above qualities.
The need of our next movement and generation is a change. The Change in ” past Washington and its Leadership”. A change we can believe in and not the seductive, deceptive, and confusing slogan of “leader we can believe in” [? Effexor ?”.
Our Greatgrand Nation has to address many present and future challenges and start with new clean “Slate and Senator”.
God Bless America. its diverse people, and our Greatgrand Nation.
Our Greatgrand Nation is needs the CHANGE at every level and for long time.
I am sure Senator Obama with the help of Senator Clinton and her supporters, can deliver that CHANGE.
Please stay involved, stay engaged, and stay informed. Please do not allow any seduction, deception, and or confusion by some partisan media and leaders effect your vote [ Psychological Terrorism ]..
Yours truly,
COL. [retd] A.M.Khajawall
Disabled American Veteran
Forensic psychiatrist, Las Vegas
PS: It is tragic, sad, and unfortunate that Hon. Senator McCain does not show ” Presidential Temerament and Togetherness ” to be President of our Greatgrand Nation in coming complex and critical time.
June 12th, 2008 at 9:53 pm EDT
McInsane is a Nasty Nasty nasty Man anyone who knows him in Washington Knows he has a very nasty Temper as Evidnce His wife always stands there like a deer caught in the Headlights she is probably scraed his he is gonna yell at her any second
July 15th, 2008 at 7:42 am EDT
Apple Inc.’s new data synching service got off to a rocky start Thursday, as some users were denied access to their accounts just hours before the next-generation iPhone is slated to go on sale.
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