Ms. Gpclay here.  I wasn't going to post.  I'm exhausted.  But, here I am . . .  

First, those of of you who responded to my hopeful post of Monday, 4/21 - you were right and I was wrong.  HRC won by 9%.  Not the Obama squeaker I thought might be possible.  

But that's not why I'm posting.  Others may have already posted about these factors (racism, political machines, voting machines), and I apologize if I'm repeating other more timely and eloquent posts, but I was in a rural pocket of the state on Tuesday, and observed some sobering things.

Most of today's polls have Clinton winning tomorrow in Pennsylvania.  We live in Central Pennsylvania.  On Saturday, I traveled to the Philadelphia region while my husband traveled west to Washington, Pennsylvania.  

Our unscientific anecdotal observations - even when you factor in our Obama bias - give us a very different read of the state than what the front pages and polls are saying.  

Ms.  Gpclay here again.  Both my husband and I are registered democrats.  The Obama campaign presence is ubiquitous.  Just wondering if we're off the her target voter list or if there's just no Hillary ground game in Central, PA.

First - I need to reveal that generally, my husband and I share this "gpclay" identity.  Today its just me, Ms. Gpclay.  He agrees and supports, but this is more personal and unique to my perspective.  

This is a two part diary. The two threads are intertwined for me, so I’ve joined them here.  I’ve been thinking about writing a diary “When Conventional Wisdom Becomes the Excuse” reflecting on Governor Rendell’s soft appeal to the closet bigots of Pennsylvania.  Although Rendell claimed it was just an observation regarding the realities of Pennsylvania, it struck me as a calculated shift to the low road.  But in the moment I reached the insight into why this comment lingered and continued to really to eat at me, I realized that it may have happened:  Has the Hillary Clinton campaign "jumped the shark"?  

Pennsylvania Election and Polling Experts Terry Madonna and Michael Young lay out the template for an Obama victory in Pennsylvania in today's Allentown Morning Call.  Madonna and Young are viewed in Pennsylvania as fair, non-partisan and independent.  In the article, Madonna and Young observe:  

Clinton's advantages in Pennsylvania are substantial. Many of the state's demographics (seniors, Catholics, working class, conservatives and ethnics) fit well into the coalition she has pasted together in earlier states. Moreover, Clinton has personal ties and family roots in the state that will reinforce her favorable political fundamentals.

Nevertheless, a strong case can be made for the scenario in which Obama wins the state outright or at least holds down her margins so that a nominal win for her will be perceived as a virtual loss.

Some observations on stepping out onto the grassroots of politics.  This is not about why we support Obama - that's been covered eloquently and debated fully on this site and others.  This diary is about the act of standing up, how its scary, but so moving to see so many regular folks engaged and stepping out.  

We brought our kids to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday.  We had decided to attend the parade to support the Harrisburg for Obama parade effort.  There were no advertised big names expected to attend our parade.  Hillary and Ed were in Pittsburgh, some Kennedys in Scranton.  Not sure who was in Philly.  

But the kids were excited (a parade!!!), the day gorgeous and the general mood festive in anticipation of the revelry to come at the several Irish pubs along the route down 2nd Street.  The crowd a mix of the 20 and 30 somethings with their green mardi gras beads and plastic green hats, the older Irish American ladies and gents, the families like us and the local Harrisburgers of all ages, races, shapes and sizes.  

I am bouncing between despair for my family and my country and outrage that the election might have been stolen and thoughts of moving to someplace "bluer" or even another country (although here in PA we did come through and even elected three Ds to statewide office - Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer) and hope based the effort I saw (I was a MoveOn PAC precinct leader and had five out-of-state folks drive to PA to help us get an 80% turnout for Ds in my Precinct).  

Story here

Rendell is sending two volunteer state employees (including one state attorney) to each of PA's 67 county seats to help monitor election and assist Department of State in resolving any problems.  Good on ya, Ed!

Note the Rs lame response:

"It's still just not clear exactly what purpose they are going to serve other than to be a liaison, but why then you need a lawyer and a nonlawyer in each county is unclear," said Stephen MacNett, general counsel to the Senate Republicans, who attended the orientation yesterday. "It's what I didn't hear that has me still wary about this."

Steve Miskin, a spokesman for House Republican Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, added, "It's like they're trying to meddle to create issues and problems in counties. Is that their intention .... to try to assure this ends up in courts?"

Uh, no, the Governor is trying to resolve problems before they get to the Courts...