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The Obama-Casey Ticket
March 28, 2008 3:40 PM
Lots of chatter today about Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., D-Penn., and his surprise endorsement today of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
It's of obvious significance for Pennsylvanians and political dorks (I plead guilty to being both) because Casey and his family represent the voter Obama is struggling the most to win -- white, Catholic, working class men.
Casey and his father, the late Gov. Bob Casey Sr., represent the sort of economically populist, socially moderate voter that one needs in order to win Pennsylvania. They are a segment, in fact, often referred to as "Casey Democrats." They vote for Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., who has worked to have a moderate to liberal position on guns and labor issues. Many are Catholic -- Irish, Italian, Poles. Many oppose abortion rights. Obama needs them if he has any hope of coming within 15 points of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
And it likely bears remembering that Casey Jr.'s father had been humiliated by Bill Clinton's campaign in 1992.
Gov. Casey had been a strong anti-abortion-rights activist -- a law that bore his name that imposed a 24-hour waiting period on those seeking an abortion, while requiring parental consent for minors seeking the procedure became Supreme Court precedent in Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania vs. Casey.
He'd wanted to deliver an anti-abortion speech to the 1992 Democratic convention. Not only was he denied such an opportunity -- which the Clinton campaign worried would create visible party divisions if not outright convention floor chaos -- he was subjected to what he later would deem public humiliation. He was given bad seats from which he watched Kathy Taylor -- a Republican abortion rights supporter from Pennsylvania, one who'd worked to elect the candidate Casey had defeated in 1990 -- got a speaking slot instead.
Upon Casey's death in 2000, the New Republic reported that "DNC officials sent Taylor, with a camera crew in tow, to find Casey in 'Outer Mongolia,' as he put it, to further humiliate him."
His son, Casey Jr., for what it's worth, is one of the most normal-, nice-, and modest-seeming guys in the U.S. Senate. He doesn't seem rancorous at all.
"This campaign is a chance for America," Casey Jr. said today. "A chance to go down a different path. A path of change. A path of a new kind of politics. And finally a path of hope and heeling."
"A new kind of politics. . . Healing."
I'm trying to think how I would feel about a person who was part of a team responsible for my father's greatest public humiliation.
Today's endorsement has also prompted a whole lot of interesting speculation about an Obama-Casey ticket -- like on TNR's The Stump.
What do you think?
- jpt
March 28, 2008 in Weblogs | Permalink | Share | User Comments (58)
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Casey does not represents the the whole Penn voters. Sorry, he lost his chance by indorsing Obama... Penn voters will give Casey a loud NO for his indorsement ..They can not and will not vote Obama whose ideas and beliefs are contrary to the middle class white voters and besides Obama is contuing to offend them like me.
Posted by: asd | Mar 29, 2008 1:59:04 AM
Thinking - great observation! I think if Senator Obama bought some kegs of beer and sat down with the guys, he just might make some inroads in PA! :)
In the meantime, he has some solid support from Senator Casey who will be on the road for the next six days with Senator Obama. That is quite a committement - life on the road, regardless of the accommodations, is not like being home. Besides, they will be getting very litle sleep - which does not seem to bother Senator Obama as much as it does Hillary.
Posted by: sandy | Mar 29, 2008 1:10:58 AM
last week it was bho choosing richardson as his running mate...
over 50 of the already pledged super delegates come from clinton won states. do the math-50 off bho, 50 to clinton...dead heat AND that is without michigan and florida.
Posted by: fedup | Mar 28, 2008 10:37:22 PM
Kennedy, Kerry ... where are these sissy boys.
Posted by: GS | Mar 28, 2008 10:30:20 PM
Casey has digged his own grave.
Posted by: GS | Mar 28, 2008 10:29:15 PM
This is just a ploy by Obama supporters to get PA people to vote for Obama. It won't work because PA people are not stupid.
The people of PA have the final word with their votes.
Posted by: SO1 | Mar 28, 2008 10:26:23 PM
Lucien BONNET,
Brillant Masterpiece. Obama needs to hire you.......(He like's prepared speeches you know)Still won't get him elected though.
Posted by: SadStateOfAffairs | Mar 28, 2008 9:26:58 PM
Obama and his backers are trying very hard to ignore the voice of the people and stealing this race. He does not have the required delegates, same as Clinton. He is not a legitimate nominee!
They both must make their case to the people, that is why nearly 70% of the people want to see this vote continue.
So far, Clinton seemed to be able to fight back Obama'so called strong backers such as Kennedy, Kerry, Richardson, etc..
Posted by: vote4thebest | Mar 28, 2008 9:02:02 PM
Kennedy, Kerry, and Richardson....
Their states went for Hillary Clinton...
So did Reid's and Pelosi's.
Posted by: John | Mar 28, 2008 7:22:35 PM
It can only be a change for America if all the politicians get voted out of office.
Barack Obama is making alot of promises. Yesterday is was going to be a Obama/Bloomberg Ticket.
Today: Obama/Casey ticket.
I would suggest Casey look at the polls in PA.
Posted by: drake | Mar 28, 2008 6:13:09 PM
So I guess we shall see Casey, Richardson, Teddy and Kerry in a Sunday sermon this weekend at TUCC? (That way they can come out and let all us moderates know that "Hey, it ain't all that bad......"
Well GD the Good Ol' Boys.....And God Bless America!
Posted by: SadStateOfAffairs | Mar 28, 2008 6:01:29 PM
The real story here is not in the endorsement.
Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Casey have been at odds for some time now.
As Ed Rendell backs Senator Clinton, it should be no surprise that Casey would back Obama.
The surprise would have been if Casey had backed Clinton.
And, some sources indicate the DNC has lobbied extensively for the Casey endorsement for Obama.
Watch DNC members like Donna Brazille on the news and note the present and growing anxiety over their blunders so far.
Senator Clinton has had to face adversity for long periods of time in the past.
Taking this battle to November will not be a problems
Posted by: Jayhawk | Mar 28, 2008 5:42:48 PM
Casey calls for Hillary to drop out typical of the scared obama people.COUNT FL & MI and let all 50 states votes count. WHAT are they afraid of. HILLARY wins if all 50 states count.
Posted by: toby | Mar 28, 2008 5:22:24 PM
Another one not afraid to stand up to the Clintons. Watch how many more when Obama closes the lead in Pennsylvania and comes within single digits of the princess in the primary.
Seems as though Casey was told by Billy Boy he couldn't speak at one of his political functions. I'm sure he just wasn't politically significant enough for the great Bill Clinton.
If it goes around...it will come back around.
Posted by: Texas voter | Mar 28, 2008 5:18:10 PM
The latest news!
Today's Gallup Poll Daily tracking update finds Barack Obama with an eight percentage point advantage over Hillary Clinton (50% to 42%), this gives him a statistically significant advantage for the first time since before the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy.
Posted by: Petra | Mar 28, 2008 5:01:12 PM
It sounds like pay back to me. I never heard of Casey. He would have to weild incredible influence to overcome Rev. Wright's crazy racial/ethnic rants. they are indelibly etched in my mind. I don't think I am unique.
Posted by: countallthevotes | Mar 28, 2008 4:59:49 PM
Casey also wants Clinton to bow out. Here's what he said today when asked after a rally in Pittsburgh if he agreed with Leahy’s comments:
"I would hope that after Pennsylvania, then we got a couple more primaries, I would hope this wouldn’t go much further beyond the end of May. It think we would be better off having a nominee in the time period certainly in late May or early June, that would be ideal. Because if you get too far into the summer, I think positions begin to harden and we lose time to not just unite and bring people together but we are also giving the Republican nominee more time to make the case against our nominees without having enough rebuttal."
Posted by: Harko | Mar 28, 2008 4:59:46 PM
Hillary should drop out immediately. She is a good for nothing character and now is causing more damages to the democratic party. She is definitely helping McCain.
Posted by: Ken | Mar 28, 2008 4:58:22 PM
Hillary is the latest Huckabee. She is a whiner and a spoiler, bent upon destroying the Dems. A vote for Hilary is a vote for Republicans!
Posted by: Bob | Mar 28, 2008 4:55:26 PM
Another woman hater jumped on the Obama train.
All I can say is send contributions to Clinton.
Posted by: Ken | Mar 28, 2008 4:51:09 PM
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